Board of Directors

Andrea McQuitty

Andrea McQuitty (Appointed as President and Chair 12th November 2016)

Andrea has diverse experience in teaching and paddling, including participating in recreational paddling, competing at an international level, coaching all ages from junior to elite international competitors, instructing in the outdoor industry, event managing local and international paddling events, and working as a part-time Development Officer with Paddle Tasmania for seven years.

Andrea competed at the national level in wildwater canoeing, canoe slalom, canoe polo, and canoe sprint, winning national titles in wildwater canoeing and representing Australia at World Championships and World Cup races on many occasions. Andrea was the coach of the Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS) Elite Development Squad for wildwater canoeing and the national team coach from 2008-2010.

Andrea has been a Director of Paddle Australia since 2012, serving as President and Chair since November 2016.

Connie Todaro

Connie Todaro (Appointed as a Director 12th November 2016)

Connie joins Paddle Australia with a background in finance, with corporate experience as a Certified Practising Accountant.

Connie has previously been involved on committees both at a state and national level, including as a Director on the Canoeing Victoria Board and member of the Paddle Australia Nominations Committee. Connie is currently a member of the Paddle Australia Audit and Risk Committee.

Cynthia Coward

Cynthia Coward (Appointed as a Director 3rd November 2018)

Cynthia joins Paddle Australia with a background in the development of education, recreation and sport orientated community organisations in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

An experienced leader of people and culture in community organisations, Cynthia has worked to ensure alignment between strategic intent and operational outcomes. An interest in diversity and inclusion has underpinned her commitment to grow participation in sport, ensuring that sporting activities are accessible to people of all abilities. Cynthia is also a member of Paddle Australia’s Nominations Committee.

Cynthia has served in a range of roles within paddling in Western Australia, including as a technical committee member, race director, team manager, and more recently, President of Paddle WA. Cynthia has been a lifelong participant in recreational paddling across several disciplines.

Jeremy Moller

Jeremy Moller (Appointed as a Director 5th October 2019)

Jeremy joins Paddle Australia with a background in law. Jeremy has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, bringing specific expertise in the areas of risk management and governance. Jeremy is also a member of the Paddle Australia Audit and Risk Committee.

An experienced board director, particularly interested in the arts and sport, Jeremy is a member of the boards of the Sydney Fringe Festival, the NSW Friends of the Australian Ballet and is a member of the NSW Law Society’s Ethics Committee. Together with this experience, Jeremy has a focus on sports integrity, given his legal practice specialises in financial crime compliance and in particular anti-money laundering.

Sue McConnell

Sue McConnell (Appointed as a Director 30th October 2020)

Sue has a background in change management and people and culture, working in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors in Australia and the United States. Sue is highly experienced in creating high-performance cultures and working with organisations to bring about sustainable change in line with their strategic plan.

Recently, Sue has consulted to state and national sports organisations, is a member of the nomination committee for a state sport organisation, and serves on the board of a community sports organisation. She is passionate about sport being open to all individuals.

Rob Pickering

Rob Pickering (Appointed as a Director 30th October 2020)

Rob brings a background in digital and technology, having led large scale digital transformations across various industries to his role as a director of PA.

He is currently the General Manager of Technology at the Australian Football League (AFL) and has held senior executive technology and digital roles during a 15-year career in this field. He also holds a non-executive director role on the board of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation.

Rob was also an avid kayaker as a junior (now long retired!) in canoe sprint and canoe marathon.

Simon Traynor

Simon Traynor (Appointed as a Director 30th October 2020)

Simon brings to Paddle Australia more than 25 years of experience in building and managing high profile international sports, lifestyle, fashion, and outdoor brands, including Nike Europe and Quiksilver Asia Pacific.

In recent years, Simon has pivoted into a full-time career as an independent non-executive director, with a diverse board portfolio including the iconic Australian brand, Kookaburra Sport, and the Movember Foundation, the world’s largest men’s charity.

As a passionate waterman, Simon enjoys surfing, ocean ski paddling, and everything in-between.

Andrew Trim

Andrew Trim (Appointed as a Director to fill Casual Vacancy – 30th October 2020)

Andrew has extensive experience in paddling at a high level, having competed in nine World Championships between 1985 and 2000 in canoe sprint, being a multiple medal winner and World Champion in 1997. A triple Olympian, Andrew competed in canoe sprint in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, winning bronze (Atlanta) and silver (Sydney) medals in the K2 500m. As a younger athlete, Andrew won state and national championships in canoe polo, wildwater canoeing and canoe slalom, and has competed in ocean racing as a ‘retired athlete’.

In business, Andrew has spent the past 18 years building his independent real estate sales and property management business. Andrew is a published author and completed his MBA from Southern Cross University in 2019.

Andrew is also an Executive Board Member of the Queensland Olympic Council and President of the Queensland Olympians Club.

Nick Prebble

Nick Prebble (Appointed as a Director to fill Casual Vacancy – 20th March 2023)

Nick comes to Paddle Australia with a private equity background, specializing in screening and financial analysis of new investment opportunities. He currently sits on the Board of two other Australian companies; Scrully RSV, a nationwide refrigerated truck and trailer hire company and also InterCare Group, a leading aged care and disability care training firm.

Beyond his accomplishments in the finance sector, Nick has made a significant impact in skiing as the NZ Winter Olympic Head Ski Cross Coach. With an understanding of the sport’s intricacies, he successfully led a high-performance athlete to achieve immense success including  NZ’s first ever silver medal at the World Ski Cross Championships.

Previous Board Members

Directors Retired since 1997 (1)

  1. Mr James Hunter – 1st January 1997 – 18th October 1998
  2. Ms Donna Blay – 1st January 1997 – 1st November 1998
  3. Ms Helen Brownlee OAM – 1st January 1997 – 17th October 1999
  4. Mr Martin Finn – 1st January 1997 – 3rd July 2001
  5. Mr Wennie van Lint – 19th October 1997 – 28th October 2001
  6. Mr Peter Tedesco – 5th December 2001 – 15th May 2002
  7. Mr Jon Bisset – 13th January 1997 – 31st October 2002  (2)
  8. Ms Noelene Stevenson – 19th October 2002 – 14th September 2004
  9. Mr Graham Halford – 28th October 2001 – 13th November 2004
  10. Mrs Gai Ness – 10th May 2000 – 12th November 2005
  11. Mr Rick Mingramm – 13th November 2004 – 11th January 2006
  12. Mrs Donna Jones – 12th November 2005 – 17th January 2006
  13. Mr Peter Vandepeer – 18th October 1998 – 31st January 2006
  14. Mr Robin Belcher – 13th February 1999 – 31st January 2006
  15. Mr Greg Kaeding – 1st January 1997 – 31st January 2006
  16. Mr Peter Heeley – 31st January 2006 – 5th April 2007
  17. Mr Justin Quill – 31st January 2006 – 29th April 2007
  18. Mr Ian Muir – 5th April 2007 – 19th March 2008
  19. Mr David Lunn – 29th April 2007 – 25th May 2009
  20. Mrs Shelley Oates-Wilding – 30th July 2008 – 14th November 2009 and 13th January 2010 – 12th May 2010
  21. Mr Jim Murphy OAM – 31st January 2006 – 11th November 2012
  22. Prof Keith Lyons – 14th November 2009 – 17th June 2013
  23. Ms Catherine Ordway – 11th April 2012 – 19th May 2014
  24. Mr James Rennell – (As Independent Director) 2nd July 2009 – 20th June 2014
  25. Mr Robbie Stewart – 15th October 2008 – 25th October 2014
  26. Ms Danielle Woodward – (As President and Chair) 15th November 2008 – 12th November 2016
  27. Mr Martyn Clancy-Lowe – 29th April 2007 – 12th November 2016
  28. Mrs Anita Taylor – 17th March 2015 – 29th May 2017
  29. Mr James Rennell – 25th October 2014 – 5th November 2017
  30. Mr Ian Hume – 25th October 2014 – 3rd November 2018
  31. Ms Janine Wood – 23rd January 2018 – 8th January 2019
  32. Mr Claude Harran – 21st July 2014 – 15th April 2019
  33. Mr Hien Pham – 23rd January 2018 – 15th August 2019
  34. Mr Edward Selby – 23rd January 2018 – 23rd January 2020
  35. Mr Tony Haines – 11th April 2017 – 30th October 2020
  36. Dr Lisa Gowthorp – 3rd November 2018 – 5th November 2021

Notes:

(1) Prior to 1st January 1997, Paddle Australia (formerly Australian Canoeing) was governed by a Council and an Executive Council. A Board of Directors was elected with Directors’ terms beginning on the 1st January 1997.
(2) Jon Bisset was an ex-officio Director as a virtue of his appointment as General Manager. Jon ceased to be a Director as a result of a change to the Australian Canoeing Constitution that came into effect on the 1st November 2002. Jon continued to be CEO following this date until the 8th April 2005.
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