Bond University Appoints Former AOC CEO Fiona de Jong as Director of Sport

Bond University has appointed former Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) CEO and proud university alumna Fiona de Jong as its new Director of Sport. De Jong currently serves as Director of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) European Training Centre in Italy and will relocate to Australia early in the new year to officially assume the executive role.

Institutional Integration and Brisbane 2032 Opportunities

The appointment positions Bond University to capitalise on national high-performance and grassroots momentum in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. De Jong’s role focuses on expanding athletic infrastructure, enhancing campus sports culture, driving elite athlete recruitment, and integrating sports participation across the broader student body.

Bond University vice chancellor and president, Professor Tim Brailsford, highlighted de Jong’s return to her alma mater as a milestone for the institution’s sports portfolio.

“Fiona shone through in an amazingly strong field of applicants.”

“Her journey started as a student at Bond who has achieved so much success, including leadership roles in the Olympic movement, gaining global respect as an acclaimed sports administrator,” Professor Brailsford said.

Fiona de Jong emphasised the role Bond University played in her personal development as both an international triathlete and a sports law practitioner, outlining a vision to connect academic rigor with athletic excellence.

“Few roles could be as fulfilling as working for the University that first opened the doors of possibility for me, helping the next generation of young people and shaping the next era of Bond Sport.”

“In my student days at Bond, I fell in love with my sport of triathlon and the fantastic facilities played a part in me pursuing that path, with the flexibility offered allowing my dream of competing for Australia while studying.

“My early Bond experience taught me that a student can move seamlessly between academic achievement, representative sport, club leadership and lifelong networks.

“Sport is part of our national identity and Brisbane 2032 provides a platform to amplify that again.

“Moreover, sport is part of Bond University’s culture, recruitment proposition, campus life and reputation. I will endeavour to make that opportunity tangible for every student, not only elite athletes,” de Jong said. 

De Jong brings over two decades of international sports governance, legal, and operational leadership to the university. During a 12-year tenure at the AOC encompassing roles as Director of Sport and CEO, she delivered 10 Australian Olympic Teams, led five Australian Youth Olympic Festivals, and managed national multi-sport delegations. Her background also includes executive experience as Head of Australia’s Nation Brand at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), alongside four years leading the AIS’s European operational headquarters through the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 quadrennials.

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