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he Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has announced businesswoman, Josephine Sukkar, as its new chair.

Co-founder and principal of construction company Buildcorp and president of Australian Women’s Rugby, Sukkar will become the first woman to be appointed chair at the ASC.

Sukkar also serves on a number of boards, include Growthpoint Properties Australia, Parramatta Park Trust, Opera Australia, the Australian Museum, the Sydney University Football Club Foundation and the Buildcorp Foundation.

Sukkar is set to begin her role on February 8, 2021 for a three-year term and will oversee the activity of Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Federal Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said Sukkar will bring a combination of business and commercial experience to the role, along with a strong understanding and passion for sport.

“Sukkar has helped lead a successful Australian family-owned business through many challenges, including the Global Financial Crisis and most recently COVID-19,” Colbeck said.

“During this time, she has also been a strong contributor to the national sporting community, most notably driving increased female participation through her involvement in Australian Women’s Rugby,” he said.

Sport Australia acting CEO, Rob Dalton, said he is pleased to see Sukkar take on the position at a unique time for the sports industry in Australia.

“We congratulate Josephine (Sukkar) on her appointment and look forward to working with her to confront the challenges that our industry is facing now and into the future,” Dalton said.

“Josephine’s career in sport extends from the community level right through to the boardroom and when coupled with her outstanding record in business she is well positioned to lead the rebuild of sport as we look to emerge from the pandemic in a position of strength,” he said.

Alongside managing Australian sport amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Sukkar will also be challenged with issues including rebuilding relationships after the ‘sports rorts’ saga, and organising grassroots development.

AIS CEO, Peter Conde, said: “Our focus remains on getting ahead of sporting trends and being a world-leader.”

“We look forward to the leadership Josephine and the ASC Board will provide, which will be instrumental in the ongoing evolution of the AIS and Australian sport,” he said.