Sport NSW Board
Chris Hall - Chairperson
Chief Executive Officer, Primary Communication
Chris commenced his sporting journey at North Rocks Carlingford Little Athletics and North Rocks Soccer Club. Despite giving it his all he quickly realised he would never make it as an elite athlete. The pinnacle of his sporting career came making the fourths basketball in year 12.
Chris went on to contribute to the sector off the playing field. He was a Sports Minister’s Chief of Staff in the State Government for almost six years. His passion for the sector led him to volunteer his time to Sport NSW where he brings a unique perspective across all strategic and operational communication needs as well as government relations.
Over the past two decades he has worked in communication related roles and nowadays is the CEO at Primary Comms Group where he works to position clients in the best possible light.
Chris has participated in a wide variety of sports from Basketball to Rowing and Football to AFL 9’s. Nowadays, he spends Saturday morning’s taking his kids to their sporting activities. He is a keen fan of sport and when he isn’t at a live sporting match its on his TV.
Chris has been a member of the Sport NSW Board since May 2017 and was appointed Deputy Chairperson in February 2019.
Erin Lorenzini - Deputy Chairperson
Head of Cricket Operations, Head of Government Relations and Infrastructure - Cricket NSW
Erin Lorenzini is an accomplished leader with experience in both the elite sport and health care industries. She has an unwavering passion for high performance and driving success. Erin is a dual sport professional athlete having played 11 years in the WNBL with the Dandenong Rangers, Adelaide Lightning, Sydney Flames, and more recently the AFLW with the GWS Giants (after having two children!)
Erin worked as a podiatrist before founding Sydney East Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics in 2016 where she was Director until it was acquired by a private equity fund in 2019.
Alongside her career in health care Erin has over 15 years of experience in high performance sport as both an athlete and administrator. She is currently leading two divisions within the Cricket NSW Business Services as the ‘Head of Government Relations & Infrastructure’ and the ‘Head of Cricket Operations’. She serves as a board member for the City of Sydney Basketball Association as well as the Ashleigh Gardner Foundation. She is dedicated to supporting the delivery of excellence on and off the field of play, and her approach is naturally strategic, competitive and relationship focused.
Erin is a currently undertaking an Executive Master of Business Administration at UNSW – AGSM, focusing on corporate finance and strategic development and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Erin also dedicates her time as a Leadership Consultant for GWS Giants AFLW.
She is looking forward to giving back with Sport NSW, knowing how much sport has given her.
Tracie Edmondson
Head of Public Affairs, NSW Rugby League
Tracie Edmondson is a sports media / public relations / communications specialist who has been working in the industry for more than 30 years, at state, national and international level in a variety of roles and sports from Journalist and Magazine Editor to Media / PR / Communications / Public Affairs Manager, PR Consultant (own business), Digital Editor and Brand, Marketing and Communications General Manager.
Tracie is currently employed as Head of Public Affairs for NSW Rugby League. She has had a long association with Rugby League, working previously with the Sharks and Dragons and as Public Affairs Manager for the National Rugby League, promoting the sport not only through major events like the NRL Grand Final, State of Origin Series and Auckland Nines, but also through important community, education and welfare programs, such as Tackle Bullying and Women In League.
Tracie has also worked as a “volunteer” media Liaison Officer with the Australian team at the 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. She has also worked in full-time, contract and volunteer roles for state sporting organisations including Surf Life Saving Queensland, Surf Life Saving New South Wales and Swimming NSW.
On a personal level, Tracie has a very keen interest in running and has “competed” in recreational running events since 2001, posting a PB marathon time of 2hrs:54min:48sec in 2013 (third fastest female masters competitor). She is also an accredited Level 2 Recreational Running Coach.
In terms of educational qualifications, Tracie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Journalism, Human Movement); and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Communication (Public Relations); and is currently researching for her Doctorate of Communication at Charles Sturt University (to complete in 2018).
Tracie has been a member of the Sport NSW Board since November 2015.
Elisa Holmes
Barrister
Elisa is a barrister, practicing primarily in commercial law. She has practised as a barrister for 14 years, including eight years in London and over five years in Sydney, where she is a barrister at Eleven Wentworth.
Elisa is also a leading sports lawyer, and has advised and represented many sporting associations, clubs and athletes in a wide range of sports. She was the Australian Olympic Committee’s Team Advocate for the London Olympics, was an Arbitrator of the UK Sports Resolution Panel, and is the Chair of the North Eastern Australian Football League Tribunal. She has chaired and otherwise sat on many sporting tribunals and judiciaries, and is an honourary member of Surf Lifesaving Sydney. She is a member of the Port Adelaide Football Club Eastern Advisory Board, and travels far and wide to support the Power!
Her own sporting background is in netball and rowing in particular, although she has participated in many other sports at a social and / or junior level.Elisa also sits on the Adelaide Law School Advisory board, and was a director of the Directors Guild of Great Britain in the UK.
Elisa has been described in a professional context as “enthusiastic and clever” and as having “an approachable and charming manner with the steel of a gritty and determined advocate”, as well as having been “instructed in several significant cases” and instilling “confidence as she provides acute legal thinking and … an elegant style in court”. These are attributes she hopes to bring to Sport NSW.
Elisa has been a member of the Sport NSW Board since May 2017.
Ellie Laing
Director - Media & Communications, Property Council of Australia
Joining the Sport NSW Board in 2021, Ellie Laing is a communications professional, with leadership experience across government, the parliament, public affairs & advocacy, and the media.
Ellie is currently the Director Media & Communications at the Property Council of Australia, the peak advocacy body representing the country’s property sector.
Ellie previously worked at the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker of NSW Parliament where she drove a series of major reforms, and as Director of Communications to the Deputy Premier of NSW.
Prior to joining the Ministry, Ellie worked at the government’s major events and tourism agency, Destination NSW, and as a journalist and presenter for the best part of a decade across both public, multicultural and commercial broadcasters throughout Australia. Ellie also lectured in journalism at Macleay College in Sydney, and was invited to deliver a Tedx Talk in 2015.
Ellie is also a published author of children’s books, co-authored with former Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes. The “Welcome to Our Country” series will celebrate and educate families about Australia’s First Nations culture.
Ellie lives with her husband and two young sons on Sydney’s northern beaches, is an avid gardener and an Ambassador for the mighty Sydney Swans.
Maria Nordstrom
Chief Executive Officer - Basketball NSW
Maria Nordstrom has more than 30 years’ experience in sports management, B2B sales and marketing, spanning multiple markets including 25 years’ experience as CEO, Managing Director, General Manager, Director, and Sales Leader.
In her role as CEO of Basketball NSW Maria has led the organisation through a change journey spanning 5+ years with focus on improving stakeholder relationships, organisational restructure, growth focus and mindset, improving advocacy and infrastructure investment in NSW.
Maria has a proven track record of success in improving results and productivity, negotiating complex contracts across diverse markets, leading the development of highly effective commercial models, leading transformational change, and developing talent while delivering strong financial outcomes in a fast-moving environment.
Maria is the current Chair on the board of SEDA College and is a FIBA Women’s world Cup Board Non-Executive Director and Director for Legacy. She also has board experience from serving previous terms as the Chair of the Swedish Council and the Swedish School in Sydney.
She is a member of the International Coaching Federation, Women on Boards and CEO institute Syndicate 7.
Maria holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology& Business) from St Peter’s University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Matthew O’Connor
Manager Recreation Planning and Design, Blacktown City Council
With a passion for serving the public, Matt has been delivering sport and recreation outcomes with the community for nearly 20 years. Previously with the federal government, Matt was part of a small team responsible for unlocking former defence and maritime lands around Sydney Harbour for public access, recreation and sport.
Returning to his beloved Western Sydney in 2008, Matt currently has the privilege of serving the community as Blacktown City Council’s Manager Recreation Planning and Design. In 2017, Matt and his team received national recognition for planning the open space and sports facilities required to meet the needs of the Blacktown City community as it grows from 370,000 to over 550,000 – larger than Tasmania and Malta!
Tasked with providing a further 157 sports facilities for the growing community, Matt encourages his team to think innovatively and identify all potential partners to collaboratively deliver award-winning facilities. This is illustrated by Blacktown City and NSW Rugby League recently opening the first synthetic facility in the southern hemisphere specifically for rugby league.
Believing in the power of sports, local councils, community and elected representatives collaborating to improve public life, Matt welcomes the opportunity to bring to the Sport NSW Board his knowledge of navigating into, through and with local councils to maximise outcomes for all.
Tiffany Robertson
Head of AFL NSW/ACT
Tiffany is currently the Head of AFL NSW/ACT, where she is responsible for all aspects of Australian Football across the State – from grassroots to elite. Tiffany has worked at AFL NSW/ACT for over 4.5 years, having previously led various departments including Media & Marketing, Participation and large Regional Development teams.
Prior to joining the AFL, Tiffany worked for Tennis Australia leading marketing, communications, sponsorship and event operations in NSW for the Sydney International and FAST4 Tennis Exhibition Series. She also implemented key participation products in NSW and spearheaded Tennis NSW marketing and communications strategy to its local club and participant network.
Tiffany’s sports business career began in New York with the National Football League (NFL) as an intern out of college where she competed as a division one student athlete in tennis for the New Mexico Lobos. Tiffany spent six years with the NFL in Marketing and Events and later in their Communications team working four Super Bowl’s during her career. Other highlights of her tenure included implementing the NFL community and CSR platform ‘PLAY 60’ and receiving the Commissioner’s Innovation Award for building a web-based system to capture the impact of the NFL’s philanthropic donations.
Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and Criminology and still regularly participates in tennis, golf and running events.
David Sexton
Chief Executive Officer - WeFlex
David is an accomplished commercial entrepreneur and is currently the Managing Director at Purposeful Consulting.
Before founding Purposeful Consulting, David was the CEO at Variety - the Children's Charity NSW, a role he held for almost four years. In David's time at Variety, his passion for sport and inclusion was demonstrated in the establishment of Activate Inclusion Sports Days, in partnership with Sport NSW.
With a Business Degree majoring in Accounting, David started his career as a chartered and commercial accountant and has subsequently managed diverse and complex budgets across various leadership roles.
David has over 25 years of diverse leadership and governance experience across various industry sectors, and has a proven record of driving strategy, growing and diversifying income, building brand and engaging with stakeholders.
He is also the Chair of PayPal Giving Fund Australia and also Kindship.
David has a passion for sport and the power it has to bring people together, to unite, inspire and to drive inclusion, and sees a natural synergy in giving back to sport through service on the Sport NSW Board.
Michele Windsor
Mentor, Minerva Network
Michele brings decades of leadership experience across a broad range of financial services businesses in Asia Pacific alongside her passionate commitment to sport.
Michele has an incredible amount of professional experience in the financial services industry and life-long experience as a sports person with a disability.
A congenital amputee, Michele was part of the Paralympic movement in its formative years and held national records in both long jump and breast stroke.
Michele’s professional background is in banking and finance. After completing a B.Ec. (Hons) at the University of Sydney, with majors in Accounting, Law and Economics, she has been employed by Macquarie and Goldman Sachs in senior roles in both Australia and Asia.
Since 2020 Michele has been a mentor with the Minerva Network, an organisation which enables elite sportswomen to maximise their opportunities on and off the field, supported by a network of leading professionals.