Our Board
Our Board
Our Executive Team at the Australian Sports Foundation is supported by a highly reputable and experienced Board of Directors chaired by Grant O'Brien who is an esteemed Australian businessman and administrator.
The board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of the organisation and for delivering accountable corporate performance in accordance with the organisation’s goals and objectives.
Lisa Cotton
Acting Chair - Appointed 13 November 2023
Lisa’s career as CEO, Chair, NED, and at management level in trade and commerce, sport, tourism, and social enterprise spans more than 30 years including 17 years governance board practice. For the past 20 years, she’s worked at the forefront of philanthropy and social innovation.
From 2004 to 2011, she was Director Social Investment with Social Ventures Australia, and co-founded The Funding Network in 2013. Prior to that, Lisa held executive positions in the private and public sectors including Director at DDB advertising, Co-Manager for Gold Corporation’s Sydney Olympic Games and Deputy Commissioner for World Expo for the WA Government.
Lisa is the CEO of Ideology Group and works in the areas of impact investment, social enterprise, mentoring and organisational strategy. She is Chairperson for the Kennards Hire Foundation, Leadership Council member of Documentary Australia and a member of the Social Impact Hub Professional Impact Network and Sydney Mentor Walks.
Samantha Pearce, BCI
Appointed 13 December 2016
Sam is a digital leader and innovator. For nearly 20 years, she has guided and transformed organisations by developing marketing and behaviour change strategies that bridge the digital divide.
As Head of Marketing at Liquid Interactive, a strategic design consultancy, she leads a world-class team committed to creating social change in government, health and education. Her industry achievements include Australian and international awards for digital strategy, purchase behaviour and customer experience.
Sam has extensive knowledge in building sustainable businesses and understands the value of giving to sport. Steeped in a family history of business success and philanthropy, she brings a wealth of experience to the ASF Board.
Kim Brennan, AM, OLY, GAICD
Appointed 23 October 2018
Kim is an Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist in rowing, and World Youth silver medallist in track and field. She is a qualified legal practitioner in Advisory with Ernst & Young, specialising in ethical organisations and culture change in a technology-disrupted world. Kim also sits on a number of key sporting bodies, including the Australian Institute of Sport Ethics Committee, and is Deputy Chair of the Rowing Australia Athletes’ Commission, as well as being appointed Deputy Chef de Mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
She is a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to sport and the community and was named in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence in 2018.
David Lemphers
Appointed 13 November 2023
Dave Lemphers is a distinguished technologist and entrepreneur with a global career that has spanned Australia and the United States. Co-founding and successfully exiting four startups, he has held executive engineering roles at Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.
An author of four U.S. patents in machine learning and AI, Dave currently serves as CTO in Residence with Techstars. As an experienced board advisor, he has contributed to both public and private boards, focusing on technology strategy and digital transformation.
With degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Law, his expertise offers a comprehensive perspective.
Jason Titman
Appointed 13 November 2023
Jason has over 25 years experience in executive and board roles across several Countries. These roles include CEO, COO and CFO in several eCommerce and fintech companies, that have scaled from startup, taken on significant investment from Tier One US, Australian and Indian VC’s, listed Companies and a range of Family Offices, each of which has subsequently had successful exits.
His Board commitments include, Chair of Reshop, a New York based eCommerce company and Non-Executive Director of Findi Limited, an ASX Company, which owns an Indian financial services and eCommerce company. In addition to this, he is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Swyftx, one of Australia’s largest digital asset exchanges.
Previously, Jason was on the Mater Hospital Foundation Board from 2011 to 2021, Chaired the Maters’ Endowment Fund, Cycling Queensland Board from 2006 to 2008, the Moreton Bay Colleges Board of Governors, Chair of The Moreton Bay Colleges’ Foundation from 2015 to 2024.
Kate Thiele
Appointed 22 October 2024
Kate Thiele is an accomplished leader with extensive experience across the not-for-profit and commercial sectors, including health, aged care, disability (NDIS), higher education, conservation, and technology. She serves as a non-executive director, Chair, CEO, and principal of Klarity, a national strategic advisory and executive mentorship service.
Through her work with Klarity, Kate provides expertise in governance, strategic planning, and ESG, guiding organisations to enhance impact and resilience. She currently chairs the Adelaide Crows Foundation and Skylight Mental Health and serves on the UniSA MBA Advisory Committee, among other roles.
In addition to her board portfolio, Kate is a C-Suite coach and mentor. An award-winning business leader, she has a proven track record in stakeholder engagement, business development, and innovation.