ASTN powers sports innovation with new appointments

MELBOURNE – FEBRUARY 10, 2022 – Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) – the governing body for sports technology and innovation, today announced two new key appointments as it prepares for substantial growth.

Cam Vale steps into the role of General Manager Operations and Hayley Priestnall to Alumni Office Manager, highlighting a new leadership approach at ASTN to help accelerate Australia’s sportstech industry.

James Demetriou, Chair, ASTN says the two new roles will play an integral role in the success of ASTN. “These appointments are a true commitment to our members and will ensure we have the right skills and capabilities to continue to grow sportstech success, locally” added Demetriou.

Vale joins ASTN with a strong reputation in the sports sector, with more than 20 years of experience in several senior executive leadership roles including CEO of Baseball Australia, CEO of Hockey Australia and COO of North Melbourne Football Club.

Demetriou says Vale’s experience brings a strong history of leading major national sporting organisations and he’s looking forward to Vale’s contribution at the intersection of sport and technology.

“We were looking for an executive with the right combination of sport experience and business and entrepreneurial mindset. We purposefully selected a senior executive with strong industry relationships, experience dealing with diverse stakeholders, and also experience across strategy and finance,” says Demetriou.

Demetriou said there had been rapid growth in the Australian sportstech industry from $250 million to $1.2 billion and 15,000 jobs gross value added to the Australian economy over eight years. Demetriou forecasts that the pace will quicken, especially in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

“It’s a privilege to join ASTN and this role is a great opportunity to work closely with Australia’s leading startups in the sports sector. Australia offers a truly connected Sports Innovation ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the world and I’m excited to be at the forefront of that innovation accelerating Australian-inspired sports technologies,” said Vale.

“We have a strong leadership team that is genuinely passionate about helping Australian sports technology companies to scale-up and empower them to have a global brand and international vision.”

Priestnall will take the lead on a newly created role of Alumni Office Manager. Priestnall joins ASTN with more than 17 years of experience in project management and client services working with national sporting and not-for-profit organisations, including roles at GameDay, National Rugby League and Tennis Australia.

“Member management is a key priority for us to ensure we are supporting our large member network across Government, leagues, teams, federations, vendors and grassroots organisations. In my role I’ll be ensuring we continue to demonstrate real value and continue to evolve and expand our offering to help our members succeed in a rapidly changing industry,” added Priestnall.