AFC Asian Cup 2015 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman Frank Lowy has announced the nomination of six new members to the LOC board.

 The new board members, agreed between the Federal, Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victorian Governments and Football Federation Australia are Cheryl Bart, Joseph Carrozzi, John Conde, Geoff Dixon, Chris Nikou and Heather Reid.

 They  join Lowy, Deputy Chairman Brian Schwartz and FFA CEO Ben Buckley on the board while the  Asian Football Confederation will appoint the final three members to bring the board to 12.

 “The board members have a wealth of experience across fields including business, tourism, major events, sport and the charity sector and they are well-placed to help the Local Organising Committee deliver on its objectives,” Lowy said in a statement.

 “The AFC Asian Cup is about more than just a football tournament. Governments have invested in the event because of the great potential it has for making lasting connections with our Asian neighbours.

“Our vision is to deliver a world-class event that celebrates Asia’s rich football culture and leaves an enduring legacy for the game in Australia.”

The tournament is expected to reach a television audience of about 2.5 billion people and is being jointly-funded by the Australian Government and the match hosts Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victoria.

 Board profiles (supplied by the Asia Cup LOC):

Frank Lowy AC – Chairman: Frank Lowy is the Chairman and co-founder of the Westfield Group.  Having served as Westfield’s Chief Executive Officer for more than 50 years, Mr Lowy assumed a non-executive role in May 2011.  He is the founder and Chairman of the Lowy Institute for International Policy and Chairman of Football Federation Australia Limited.  Mr Lowy is Chairman of the Westfield Group Nomination Committee.

Brian Schwartz AM – Deputy Chairman: Brian was appointed a Director of IAG in January 2005 and became Chairman in August 2010.  Brian is Deputy Chairman of Westfield Group Limited, a non-executive Director of Brambles Limited and the Deputy Chairman of Football Federation Australia Limited. Brian was the Chief Executive of Investec Bank (Australia) Ltd from 2005 to 2009.  Previously he was with Ernst & Young Australia from 1979 to 2004 becoming its Chief Executive in 1998.  Brian was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his services to business and the community.  He was previously a member of the Federal Government’s Australian Multicultural Advisory Council and in 2001 he was named Leading CEO for the Advancement of Women by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.

Cheryl Bart AO: Cheryl is the Chairman of ANZ Trustees Ltd, the South Australian Film Corporation, The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).  She is also a non-executive Director on the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Spark Infrastructure, Audio Pixel Holdings Ltd and ETSA Utilities.  Her previous directorships include Chairman of the Australian Sports Foundation, and the Adelaide Film Festival, and Director of the Economic Development Board (SA), Sydney Ports Corporation, Soccer Australia, Basketball Australia, and the Defence Industries Advisory Board.

Ben Buckley: Ben was appointed CEO of Football Federation Australia in November 2006. He started his career in sport playing for the North Melbourne Kangaroos in the AFL between 1986 and 1993.  Ben joined Nike Australia in 1990 and was appointed Director of Marketing for Nike in 1994. He became Director of Marketing Nike Japan in 1996. Ben was General Manager and Vice-President Australasia for EA Sports before joining the Australian Football League in 1999 as General Manager – Commercial Operations. In 2003 Ben was Appointed General Manager – Broadcasting, Strategy & Major Projects and became Chief Operating Officer in late 2005.  As Chief Operating Officer, Ben had responsibility for strategic planning, negotiating and managing AFL media contracts, venue agreements and facilities development, competition scheduling and planning the growth of the game in emerging markets. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science.

Joseph Carrozzi: Joseph is a Managing Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, with more than 25 years experience in the professional services sector.  He is responsible for the Sydney Office of PwC, its largest office in Australia with more than 2,700 staff.  He manages the firm’s relationships with some of the largest organisations in Australia, both ASX100 listed companies and major multi-nationals. He also holds a number of external community Board roles. He is a Governor of the Centenary Institute for Medical Research; Chair of the Centenary Institute Foundation; Board Member, Italian Chamber of Commerce in Australia and a Board Member of the GWS Giants AFL team.  Joseph has been admitted as a Barrister at Law in NSW and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.  

John Conde AO: John is Chairman of Ausgrid (formerly EnergyAustralia). He is also Chairman of the Bupa Australia Group (formerly MBF), Deputy Chairman of Whitehaven Coal Limited and a Director of Dexus Property Group.  Mr Conde is President of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal and Chairman of the Sydney Symphony. John is Chairman of the Australian Olympic Committee (NSW) Fundraising Committee, Chairman of Destination NSW and a Director of the McGrath Foundation. John has degrees in Science and Electrical Engineering (with the University Medal) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He was previously a Director of BHP Billiton and Excel Coal Limited, Managing Director of Broadcast Investment Holdings Pty Limited, Director of Lumley Corporation and President of the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Geoff Dixon: Geoff is Chairman of Tourism Australia, and Chairman of the Garvan Medical Research Foundation and Events Queensland. He sits on the boards of publicly listed companies Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings and Facilitate Digital. He is on the boards of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and is an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. He was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Airways Limited from 2001 to 2008.

Chris Nikou: Chris is a Senior Partner and Board member of national law firm Middletons in their Corporate & Commercial Group specialising in mergers and acquisitions, sports law and franchising.  Chris has significant experience in the sporting arena, having acted as legal advisor to many professional sporting clubs, associations and governing bodies and is a current Director of the Melbourne Renegades, Company Secretary of Melbourne Victory and a Director of the Melbourne High School Foundation Ltd.  Chris is also a former Director of the Football Federation of Victoria (2003 – 2008).

Heather Reid: Heather is a Director of Australian Womensport and Recreation Association and CEO of Capital Football as well as Canberra United. She has more than 30 years experience in sport at local, state and national level. She has been a lecturer in sport management, a consultant and is the only female CEO of a Member Federation within the FFA. Heather is an Honorary Ambassador for Canberra – Australia’s National Capital and a member of the Football Australia Hall of Fame in recognition of her contribution to women and girls in football. She has served on the ACT Minister’s Advisory Council on Sport and Recreation for more than 15 years and is a passionate advocate for girls and women’s sport.