The Tasmanian Government has congratulated Stadiums Tasmania CEO, James Avery, following news of his appointment as Chief Executive of the AFL’s Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants.
In a statement, Acting Tasmanian Premier, Bridget Archer said that as Stadiums Tasmania’s inaugural CEO, Mr Avery had played a critical role in the establishment of Stadiums Tasmania.
“We thank Mr Avery for his leadership during the planning phase of the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium, for the significant infrastructure upgrades he has overseen and for his diligent work on content planning,” said Ms Archer.
“In partnership with Government, Mr Avery helped secure the Foo Fighters exclusive Tasmanian concert in January. The performance at UTAS was the State’s largest ever concert and was a significant highlight on Tasmania’s events calendar.”
Mr Avery will remain in his role at Stadiums Tasmania until 4 October.
Stadiums Tasmania Chair, Jill Davies paid tribute to Mr Avery’s achievements during his three years at the helm.
“In his time as inaugural CEO, James’ outstanding leadership has been integral to our success. He has built Stadiums Tasmania into a respected venue manager and adviser and has driven our strategic direction,” she said.
Mr Avery said he was excited to embrace a new opportunity, but said his departure is tinged with sadness given Stadiums Tasmania’s exciting future.
“I feel extremely privileged to have been entrusted to build an organisation like Stadiums Tasmania and proud of our people and what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time,” he said.
“I thank the Board for its unwavering support in establishing Stadiums Tasmania. Together, we’ve positioned the organisation to deliver enormous benefits to Tasmanians and I am confident the best is yet to come.”
Stadiums Tasmania was established in 2022 to own and operate Tasmania’s major venues, including the Macquarie Point Stadium. It currently owns and operates UTAS Stadium and the Silverdome, with Ninja Stadium and MyState Bank Arena also earmarked for transfer to Stadiums Tasmania.
The Board will shortly commence a national executive search to appoint Stadiums Tasmania’s next Chief Executive Officer and will work closely with Mr Avery and the executive team to ensure a smooth transition and ongoing delivery of its projects and priorities, Ms Davies said.
