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The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has announced that Matt Carroll will be stepping down from his role as Chief Executive following next year’s Annual General Meeting in May.

The timing allows a successor to Carroll to be appointed ahead of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, then Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030 and ultimately Brisbane 2032.

AOC President Ian Chesterman shared “I would like to congratulate Matt and to say that the AOC is in a much better place for his leadership over the past eight years is a massive understatement. His contribution has been enormous and will be enduring.

“Matt advised me that he did not want to continue through to Brisbane 2032 and importantly whoever held the role going into Brisbane needed to lead the organisation at LA 2028. I agreed that was the best approach for the AOC.

“Matt will continue to guide us through to May next year when he will step down. The timing allows us to recruit a replacement and conduct an effective transition.

“Matt’s achievements are manifest. He has transformed the AOC operationally and culturally, building an excellent and productive relationship with our 46 member sports that has delivered extraordinary results at four successive Olympic Games.

“The leadership he provided to successfully guide the AOC and the Australian Olympic Team through the challenges of the COVID affected Tokyo 2020 Games was second to none.

“This undertaking required a deep understanding of the global environment, the needs of the athletes and their sports, complex arrangements with the Federal and state governments while ensuring our staff and volunteers could do their jobs effectively and in safety.

“Beyond the Games, Matt also transformed the way the Olympic movement works in the community, delivering signature programs such as Olympics Unleashed, Olympic Change-Maker, our Reconciliation Action Plan and Climate Action Plan.

“Matt led a successful cultural overhaul within the AOC that has transformed our organisation into a workplace of choice in the sports industry. He has provided the wisest counsel to me during his eight years, and I am extremely grateful for that.

“He has also laid the foundations of the legacy the AOC and our members sports can derive from Brisbane 2032.

“Matt has developed the deep respect of the International Olympic Committee and within Oceania played a major role supporting our neighbouring Pacific Island nations’ participation at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, building Australia’s respect in the region.

“Matt can be extremely proud of his contribution to the AOC and the Olympic movement.”

Carroll says in sport, timing is everything and the time is right for him to step down as Chief EXecutive of the AOC.

“The two Quads of LA and Brisbane need to be managed as one to ensure opportunity is maximised and most importantly, so the AOC can emerge stronger from the home Games. Therefore, the appropriate time for my departure is in 2025.

“My deep personal thanks to Ian Chesterman and John Coates, for their unstinting support and trust as Presidents during my term. My thanks and gratitude to all members of the Executive, Athletes Commission and Indigenous Advisory Committee for their contributions and confidence. It has been one of the most rewarding periods in my career.

“The AOC has a quality and committed senior leadership team and staff that I thank most sincerely for their support and friendship. I am very proud of what they have achieved.

“Having come to the AOC from Olympic sports including Football, Rugby and Sailing, I was able to bring experience from the important perspective of Member Sports and the challenges and complex relationships the business of sport can be.

“For me, the time is right to pass the baton on in a way that ensures a successor can get to work with confidence. I look forward to working with our Executive to ensure that process runs smoothly. As to my future, I will see what other adventures come along.”

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) congratulated Carroll for his contribution to Australian sport with ASC Chief Executive Kieren Perkins noting “Matt has played a key leadership role in recent years and the high performance sport sector is better for his contribution.

“Not only has Matt led the AOC through a period of success, he’s played a key role as part of the leadership group for Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy which has the system more united than ever.

“On behalf of the ASC, I’d like to congratulate Matt on not only his achievements in relation to high performance sport but for his commitment to ensuring communities across Australia feel more connected to sport and our athletes than ever before.

“With Brisbane 2032 less than eight years away, it’s an exciting period in Australian sport and the ASC looks forward to continuing to work closely with the AOC under new leadership in 2025 and beyond.”

AIS Performance Executive General Manager Matti Clements added “Matt’s support, guidance and counsel through Horizon 1 of the HP 2032+ Sport Strategy has been invaluable to the sector as we collectively pledged to have wellbeing at the heart of high performance sport.

“Embedding the Win Well ethos has been pivotal as we build the world’s best sports system and the AOC’s leadership through Matt and his team has been central to this.”

The AOC will run a global search for the next Chief Executive, with the formal recruiting process due to start in January 2025.

Image. Matt Carrol Credit: AOC 

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