Minister for Sport, Kate Lundy, today announced Mr John Wylie AM will be appointed as the new Chair of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Board.

Mr Wylie will bring a wealth of experience to the role which will assist him manage the direction of the Commission and shape the future of sport in Australia.

'John has extensive experience in Australia’s corporate and sport sectors and I know he will ably steer the board and oversee the continued growth of sport in Australia,' Senator Lundy said.

'A strong focus of John’s role will be strengthening Australia’s sporting system and working with our national sporting organisations to implement more robust governance structures to support the future growth and success of their sports.

'John has the requisite leadership skills and strategic nous to drive innovation and ensure Australia continues to be a leader in high performance sport, foster ongoing community participation and pursue a path to excellence.'

Mr Wylie welcomed his appointment and said he was looking forward to commencing as Chair of the ASC Board.

'I am excited about taking on this new role and tackling the challenges ahead,' Mr Wylie said.

'I think it’s critical there is a focus on innovation in sport, increased participation and better pathways linking grassroots and high performance so Australia can continue to excel on the global sporting stage.

'As the London Olympics and Paralympics showed, our international competition gets deeper and better all the time, so we need to stay ahead of the game.'

Senator Lundy thanked the Board’s Deputy Chair, Mr David Gallop, for acting in the position of Chair for the past five months following the departure of the Hon Warwick Smith AM.

'I wish him all the best in his new role as CEO of Football Federation Australia and thank him for his service to the Board which will continue as Deputy Chair.'

Mr Wylie is an eminent Australian businessman and has over 25 years experience providing financial and strategic advice to companies and governments. He has been Chairman of the MCG Trust since 1999 and he is currently CEO of prominent financial advisory firm, Lazard Australia and President of the Library Board of Victoria. He has been appointed for a term of three years.

The membership of the ASC Board includes Mr David Gallop (Deputy Chair), Glenys Beauchamp (ex-officio), Alisa Camplin OAM, Sally Carbon OAM, Liz Ellis AM, John Lee, Margaret Osmond, Andrew Plympton, Ken Ryan, Michael Turtur OAM and Kyle Vander-Kuyp.