Hockey WA has appointed experienced sports administrator and coach Graham Reid as its new chief executive, effective from May 1.
Hockey WA has appointed experienced sports administrator and coach Graham Reid as its new chief executive, effective from May 1.
Mr Reid, who has been involved with hockey in Western Australia for more than 40 years across all levels, will succeed Fabian Ross, who announced late last year he would be ending his tenure in April.
Aside from being an inaugural member of the Australian Institute of Sport in 1984, Mr Reid, a Queenslander by birth, went on to represent the Kookaburras during his playing days, and was a part of their silver medal effort at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Between 2009 and 2023, he also undertook a variety of coaching roles with the Kookaburras, Netherlands and Indian men’s national teams.
Throughout this tenure, a notable achievement included guiding India to bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which snapped a 41-year medal hiatus for the men’s team.
In April last year, Mr Reid was appointed by Hockey WA as its general manager for performance, pathways and Asian engagement – with the state sporting organisation believing his appointment would fit in with its overall strategy moving forward.
“As we look forward to the completion of the new Australian Hockey Centre, it is crucial that we position hockey in WA to fully leverage this world-class infrastructure,” he said.
“My involvement with hockey and business at all levels, both locally and internationally, has provided me with a wealth of experience and insights, and I am excited to bring this knowledge to the table and continue driving the growth and success of Hockey in WA.”
From the moment he began as CEO in February 2021, Mr Ross successfully guided Hockey WA away from challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aside from increasing hockey’s overall profile, participation rates and sponsorship income, Mr Ross also played a major role in WA’s successful $135 million bid in 2022 for the state to remain the official base for Hockey Australia’s high-performance program.
Last November, key negotiations in relation to the project were completed between WA Labor and Curtin University, with both a development deed signed and venue lease finalised.
