The global theme
for International Women’s Day in 2021 is ‘Women in
Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’, and so it is
pertinent to celebrate some of our leaders at the VIS. There is no better place to shine this important
spotlight than on our most senior female leaders, our Chairwoman Nataly
Matijevic, and our CEO Anne Marie Harrison.
VIS Chair, Ms Matijevic,
joined the VIS Board in 2017 and not long after, she stepped into the role of
Acting Chair following the departure of Nicole Livingstone OAM to lead the
AFLW. Ms. Matijevic was then appointed VIS Chair in March 2019.
Together with the VIS
Board, over her first term, the VIS developed our strategic plan, reviewed,
refreshed, and updated the VIS values, vision and mission, whilst confirming
the core business of the VIS in supporting our high performing athletes
Ms. Matijevic has more
than 20 years of expertise gained in senior roles in government, politics,
communications, and stakeholder management. She previously headed the
Melbourne office for a global strategic communications firm and spent two years
working as a senior consultant in the Middle East.
More recently she has
worked with Plenary Group in leading Communications and Stakeholder Relations
for two major transport infrastructure projects – the High-Capacity Metro
Trains Project and the Western Roads Upgrade Project.
Ms. Matijevic says it is
a great privilege to lead the VIS Board in a year where the Institute is
celebrating its 30th anniversary whilst supporting athletes during the COVID-19
pandemic.
We are all living
through unusual times with so many unexpected and necessary changes to the way
we live and work but I am very proud of our VIS athletes, coaches and staff
that have taken on this challenge with energy and their usual ‘can do’
attitude.
It is truly inspiring
to see that despite all this, our athletes remain focused on achieving success
in sport and life.
Our CEO Anne Marie
Harrison, affectionately known as AMH, is a world recognised expert in high
performance sports management. She was once ranked 14th in Scotland’s Power 100
list, becoming the founding chief executive officer of that country’s national
sports institute in 1999. Under her stewardship, the Scottish team had its then
most successful Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.
Later in 2006, Harrison succeeded
the VIS inaugural Executive Director, Dr Frank Pyke.
In its most simple form,
Anne Maries job is to help Australians win medals; ”My job is to get the
right people, with the right technical experience and knowledge, and to empower
them to do the best job possible with the athletes.”
Image: Anne Marie Harrison presents at the 2018 VIS Award of Excellence
During her 15 years at
the helm of our esteemed high-performance sports institute – a rare thing
in Australian sport – she has overseen the creation of the VIS family. A one-of-a-kind
culture within the organisation that is recognised by every athlete and staff
member – a unique sense of community amongst high performing Victorian athletes
across a range of sports.
This
enviable culture has developed over many years via her commitment to recruiting
the right personalities for the VIS, the wrap-around of services that we
provide our athletes and the cross cultivation of sports, plus a genuine care
for colleagues and athletes.
Her management approach
balances empathy and inclusiveness with assertiveness and drive. She displays
confidence and an orientation towards results, and recognises that success is
the result of effective teamwork, borne of the efforts of many people working
together to accomplish a common goal.
In 2020, the COVID-19
pandemic shone a light on the ability of leaders to respond to its
enormous and interlocking challenges. Times of crisis can foster
innovation and illumination, and Anne Marie evidently rose to the
occasion.
Anne Marie, and the VIS Taskforce,
carried out an effective and inclusive COVID-19 response plan, from the highest
level of decision-making through to frontline delivery at the check-in desk. Her
commitment to safety and advancing the interests of the whole organisation
helped to raise spirits and keep everyone looking toward the future.
Her efforts and
leadership were applauded and appreciated by others in the industry, including
VicSport CEO Lisa Hasker;
Anne Marie provided
valuable support to the SSA network around elite sport and training protocols
during the COVID 19 lockdowns. Her advice and support was vital for SSAs who
may not have HP staff and were getting enquiries from parents and athletes
about the rules around COVID.
A strong and principled
leader, she is proud to oversee a decidedly balanced organisation as far as
gender is concerned; the athlete ratio is 50-50, Ms Matijevic is Chairwoman, and
there are five women on the Board of seven, including former Australian
Diamonds Coach Lisa Alexander and Aboriginal TV personality and educator
Shelley Ware, lawyer Amelia Lynch and RFC Director, Tina De Young.
Female
leadership matters and the benefits of having women in the workplace are
well documented; from professionalism and collaboration, to a supportive
management style and cooperative problem-solving, women possess skills that
make them invaluable assets.
At the VIS, we are proud
of the many women who have ascended into leadership roles –
past, present and future and who in turn have become positive role models to
girls and other women. Happy International Womens Day!
