Sydney Rovers FC has retained Sports Recruitment International to lead a local and global search to find their Chief Executive with their entrance to the A League just 18 months away.

Seen as the jewel in the crown of professional football franchises in Australia, the Sydney Rovers FC board
comprising business leaders and former national team footballers Ian Rowden, Peter Tredinnick, Charlie Yankos and John Moore, former head of Sydney 2000 Olympic Marketing, were awarded the 12th license of the A League in October 2009. Having undertaken an intensive period of research, planning and development to ensure the start-up is a success, a central element of their strategy is the identification of a proven Sports Administrator of the highest calibre to lead the organisation as it wins the hearts and minds of the Sydney public in what is a highly competitive sporting landscape.

The Chief Executive will be the lead role in an impressive management group and will be ultimately responsible for the foundation of the business, the day-to-day management of the organisation and entrance into the A League.

Ian Rowden, the Chairman, believes the future is bright. “This club deserves to be, and will be, one of the biggest clubs in Australia. We must be competitive in one of the toughest sporting markets in Australia and one of the most competitive in the world. There is an enormous catchment of fans in the area, the highest level of participation in Australia and they deserve a world class club.”

Rowden also noted that “to be successful in this city, you have to be big, powerful and smart in everything you do. On-field success is critical to building support. However, equally we want to create a club that we can be proud of, which gives back to the community and local leagues through its programs, infrastructure and academies. We are fully committed to ensuring that we engage the best possible Chief Executive to reflect our commitment to the long term growth of the club and I have every confidence that in Sports Recruitment International we have the right search partner to advise on this vital appointment.”

Founded in 2001 Sports Recruitment International is now recognised as a leading sports industry specialised
executive search firm with offices in London, Sydney, Singapore, Lausanne and Amsterdam. Recent football clients include Arsenal FC, Everton FC and Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, Juventus FC in Italy and Gabala FC in Azerbaijan, with other leading sports organisations such as UEFA, IOC, WTA, NBA and the Jordanian Olympic Committee.

The search process will be led by Jonathan Harris; the Sports Recruitment International Partner based in Sydney, with the international search co-ordinated by Michael Squires, the London based Chairman of Sports Recruitment International. Squires commented ‘We are delighted to be selected by Sydney Rovers FC to assist them in this important search. It is a perfect example of how we are able to combine local market knowledge and experience with the ever increasing globalisation of sport. Sydney Rovers FC is in a unique position to attract world class talent and we feel privileged to play a part to help Sydney Rovers FC flourish in 2011 and beyond’.

Sydney Rovers FC and Sports Recruitment International are seeking high calibre candidates for this position. The successful candidate will be an inspirational leader with a proven track record in a world class sporting environment and who will have the capacity to build the vision for the club for 2011 and beyond, while also being detail focussed and hands-on through the organisation’s foundation.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Jonathan Harris at Sports Recruitment International via email, jharris@sportsrecruitment.com or by phone +61 (0)413 939 993.