ROWING: Rowing Australia today announced the appointment of Rob Scott as Chairman of Rowing Australia. Mr Scott was appointed to the Rowing Australia Board on 1 October, replacing Colin Smith, and was voted in as Chairman on 19 October. Flavia Gobbo, who had acted as Chair after the departure of Mr Smith, was elected as Deputy Chairman.
Mr Scott, a dual rowing Olympian who claimed silver for Australia in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the Men’s Pair with David Weightman, is the current Managing Director, Financial Services of Wesfarmers and the Chairman of the Management Board for Coles Liquor.
Mr Scott’s appointment to the Board earlier this month came after the casual vacancy left by the departure of Colin Smith. The Board elected Mr Scott as Chairman due to his wealth of business experience as well as his notable rowing achievements.
Upon his appointment, Mr Scott, a former AIS scholar, said: “It is an honour to once again be involved in the world of rowing, a sport that has given me so much over the years.
“In my new role as Chairman of Rowing Australia, I am eager to ensure all athletes, be they elite or grassroots participants of our sport, are at the centre of Rowing Australia’s considerations.
“Throughout my time in rowing, and in business, I have been inspired to be part of winning teams and I am delighted to lead Rowing Australia to achieve its vision of becoming the number one rowing nation in the world.”
Ms Gobbo commented: “I am pleased to welcome Rob as the Chairman of the Rowing Australia Board. As Deputy Chairman, I am looking forward to working alongside Rob and the RA Board. I am confident that Rowing Australia will benefit immensely from the involvement of such a distinguished and successful individual.”
Rowing Australia Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dee, added: “I am grateful to Flavia for her time as Acting Chairman of the RA Board. We are excited to be working with Rob as the new Chairman and I am certain he, and the Board, will ensure the continued success of Rowing Australia.”
Rob Scott Olympic Biography
Rob Scott is Managing Director, Financial Services at Wesfarmers and Chairman of the Management Board for Coles Liquor. He is also on the Leadership Team of Wesfarmers Limited. He has held a number of leadership roles with Wesfarmers including Finance Director of the Coles Group and Managing Director of Wesfarmers Insurance. He previously worked with Deutsche Bank in Asia and Australia in various investment banking roles. He is a member of the Mastercard Asia-Pacific Advisory Board and a past President of the Insurance Council of Australia.
Rob is a dual Olympian in rowing, having stroked the Eight at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and a silver medallist from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the Pair. He started his rowing career in Perth Western Australia and was a scholarship holder at the AIS for a number of years. He was the WA Sports Star of the Year in 1997.
Rob Scott holds a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Australian National University. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Rob currently lives in Sydney with his wife, Liz Weekes (an Olympic Gold Medallist in Waterpolo) and two children.
Rowing Australia
