The Chair, John Bertrand AO together with the Board of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame wish to provide an update to Members and stakeholders on leadership and operational changes to the organisation moving into 2020.

After an outstanding eight-year career with the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Chief Executive Officer Tania Sullivan has announced her end of tenure with SAHOF and will finish with the organisation on the January 31, 2020.

Having joined SAHOF in January 2012 as Operations Manager and taking over the helm as CEO in October 2016, SAHOF has achieved major organisational reform and significant achievements under her leadership.

Chair John Bertrand AO said that he and the Board had enjoyed an incredibly successful collaborative relationship with Tania as CEO that had led to SAHOF achieving many major accomplishments during this period.

“Tania has displayed a level of commitment to her role which I would say was unprecedented – quite amazing – and her level of expertise, energy and focus has been key to the growth and success of SAHOF” said Bertrand.

He added that “under Tania’s leadership, SAHOF’s brand profile and positioning has increased significantly, earmarked by the profile of the annual Induction & Awards Gala Dinner – undisputedly now regarded as Australian sport’s ‘Night of Nights’. This increased profile and positioning have led to game-changing inaugural federal funding and recognition acknowledging the important role that SAHOF plays in Australia’s sporting landscape”.

The Board would like to acknowledge some of the major milestones SAHOF achieved during Tania’s tenure with her exemplary team.

1. Securing five years of Federal Government funding, ($2.5m) in recognising the role that SAHOF plays as custodian of Australia’s sport history.
2. Securing four year of advanced partnership funding from Sport Australia for the delivery of the Induction & Awards Program.
3. Delivering what was without doubt our best-ever Induction & Awards Program in 2019, including an eighth consecutive sold-out Gala which is undisputedly now regarded as Australian sport’s ‘Night of Nights’.
4. Securing an opportunity to leverage the attendance of the C-Suite of Australian sport attending the Gala with the creation and delivery of the Chairs’ Round Table for Sport on the morning following the Gala.
5. Having world class quantitative selection documents that allow our Selection Committee to have the most unbiased and accurate information available to them in selecting the Inductee & Awardees whose achievements warrant being embedded into our national story.
6. The powerful success of the Scholarship & Mentoring Program and in particular the mentoring element, connecting Members with junior Scholarship holders which has resulted in life changing results.
7. An incredibly high level of Member engagement, pride and respect with a significant uplift in connection and buy-in from our Members in feeling a valued and key part of their Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
8. SAHOF being recognised as one of the main sporting institutions in Australian sport alongside Sport Australia, AIS, Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia and Commonwealth Games Australia.

Tania Sullivan said that it was within the personal reflection of achieving these shared milestones that led to the recognition that the goals set had been exceeded, and it was therefore time to seek a new challenge.

“It has been an immense privilege and honour to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame for the past three years, and as the Operations Manager for the five years prior to that since joining SAHOF on January 31, 2012.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to work not only with an incredibly supportive Chair and Board whose collective expertise and experience is second to none, but also with the most remarkable group of staff whose commitment and expertise has been first class.

“It is with pride that I recognise that each of these milestones represents the achievement of the key goals that have been my motivation across the past eight years and I am so incredibly honoured to have played a role in SAHOF achieving these outcomes” she said.

Adrianne Sarkozy has been selected to succeed Tania as CEO and will commence with SAHOF on December 2, 2019 working alongside Tania until the end of January to ensure a seamless transition.

Chair John Bertrand AO said that Adrianne is a highly experienced & successful manager of the group of functions including sponsorship, fundraising, event management, PR and media, membership services and marketing. Her most recent role was as MRC Foundation Manager at the Melbourne Racing Club and her unique skill set was a natural fit to take on the role of CEO of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

“Adrianne has impeccable connections across the globe in the areas of horse racing and breeding and within Australia in the areas of sports management, cricket and AFL football.  We are most fortunate to find a person of Adrianne’s expertise and calibre and we believe she is well placed to lead us into the next phase of SAHOFs future.” he said.

Outgoing CEO Sullivan said “Adrianne was a perfect fit for the role and she was very much looking forward to forward to working with her in the transition period to forge the best foundations for the continued success of SAHOF.”

As previously advised, Operations Manager Bonnie Elliott will also be departing SAHOF at the end of 2019. Chair John Bertrand paid tribute to the outstanding contribution to SAHOF that Bonnie has made since joining the team in 2017.

“Bonnie’s work ethic and skill set are second to none and her vivacious personality has ensured she is admired and respected by staff, Directors, sport peers and most importantly our Members – who will miss her greatly.” he said.

Tania Sullivan also expressed her respect and gratitude for the impact Bonnie has made on the organisation.

“Through her hard work and initiative, SAHOF has won three International Sport Heritage Awards and there is absolutely no doubt that the organisation is in a much stronger position through her personal efforts. Bonnie leaves a legacy we can all be proud of and I feel fortunate to have shared the work with her across the past three years.” she said.

We will continue to keep you updated with changes and ask that you please join us in extending our sincerest gratitude and best wishes to both Tania Sullivan and Bonnie Elliott and giving a warm welcome in December to Adrianne.

Kind regards
John Bertrand AO and the SAHOF Board