The Victorian Institute of Sport has appointed distinguished sports administrator and Olympian Nicole Livingstone OAM OLY as Chief Executive Officer.
Ms Livingstone, until late last year General Manager of women’s football with the Australian Football League, succeeds Anne Marie Harrison who announced her retirement in May after 18 years in the role.
A three-time Olympian, Livingstone enjoyed an outstanding swimming career before parlaying that success into roles in media, sports governance and administration.
Livingstone becomes the third CEO in the 34-year history of the Victorian Institute of Sport, the home of high-performance sport in the state, with Dr Frank Pyke guiding the organisation from 1990-2006 and Harrison from 2006-2024.
Ms Livingstone, an inaugural VIS scholarship holder in 1990 and distinguished alumni, will commence in the role in November.
VIS chair, Nataly Matijevic, described Livingstone as a leader grounded in high performance sport and one perfectly positioned to build on the legacies of her predecessors.
“Nicole has maintained close connections to high performance sport in this country through board positions with the Australian Olympic Committee, Swimming Australia, the Australian Sports Drug Agency and the Victorian Olympic Council among others, while forging successful careers in the media and sports administration,” Ms Matijevic said.
“The Victorian Institute of Sport, home to approximately 450 athletes, holds the very great responsibility of developing and nurturing our Olympians, Paralympians and world champions, and all of those who aspire to represent their country on the world’s sporting stages.
“Nicole, once a recipient of that care and support, understands the often-intense environments in which our athletes compete, is passionate about the place of sport in our community and is equipped to ensure that the VIS remains at the forefront of world’s best practice.
“The members of the VIS board are pleased to welcome Nicole to our organisation and very confident that we will be extremely well led as we work towards the Olympics and Paralympics in Brisbane in 2032.”
Livingstone described the VIS as one of the great organisations in Australian Sport.
“I am excited to be named incoming CEO of the VIS. As one of their foundation athletes, the VIS provided me with incredible support to help achieve my goals in swimming, but perhaps more importantly today, it was the VIS that first planted the seed about succeeding away from the pool,” Livingstone said.
“The VIS plays an important role in assisting Victorian athletes to shine on the world stage, inspiring Victorians through their incredible performances and stories.
“With an Australian Olympics and Paralympics on the horizon, I look forward to working alongside the talented VIS athletes and staff to achieve their goals and contribute to Victoria’s strong tradition of success in sport.”
Victoria’s Minister for Tourism, Sport and Majors Events Steve Dimopoulos welcomed Ms Livingstone’s appointment.
“As an administrator and athlete, Nicole has spent her career focussed on achieving excellence – I’m confident she’ll bring that approach to the VIS and work tirelessly to support the development of the next generation of elite Victorian athletes,” Minister Dimopoulos said.
“Ahead of Nicole’s commencement, I’d like to once again applaud Anne Marie Harrison for her 18 years of service and incredible contribution to the VIS.”
Media enquiries should be directed to VIS Communications & Marketing Manager, Stephen Rielly, at stephen.rielly@vis.org.au or on 0418 121 970.
