Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) and its executive director and owner, Larry Kestelman, have announced the appointment of David Stevenson as the league’s chief executive officer.

Stevenson joins the NBL with a wealth of leadership experience, including recent positions at the AFL as general manager of operations, at the Western Bulldogs as CEO, and at Nike as VP and general manager of emerging markets.

Stevenson most recently led the AFL industry on its’ hugely successful Gather Round in South Australia, being a key driver of growth for the league on several fronts.

Alongside his extensive international executive resume in sports, commercial, operations, and retail, Stevenson brings a strong background of governing experience as the board chair of a state government health service.

Commenting on his appointment, Stevenson acknowledged the league’s successful business model, having watched the rise of the NBL with great interest: “What Larry and his team have achieved to date is nothing short of extraordinary and I truly cannot wait to start with the team.”

“During my discussions with Larry, it’s clear his appetite for more growth and success here and internationally is insatiable, and his enthusiasm for basketball is undeniable.

“The opportunity to join the NBL at this particular time was impossible for me to turn down as there’s clearly been a revival of professional basketball in Australia and New Zealand under Larry and his executive team’s leadership,” he said.

NBL executive director, Larry Kestelman, added: “We have seen unprecedented growth and achieved significant records in key areas across the business including TV viewership, commercial revenue, attendances, fan growth, database, digital media following and engagement, and media exposure, but we are striving for much, much more.”

“The resurgence of the NBL has been undeniable and we are widely regarded as the second-best basketball league in the world outside of the NBA and bringing David on as CEO is a significant step forward for us.

“We have achieved a lot in recent years, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels and must push forward aggressively to engage more fans not only in Australia and New Zealand but across the globe and take the NBL to where we think it belongs,” he said.

With a focus on international growth, the NBL is set to pursue expansion licenses across Australia and Asia with Stevenson at the helm.

Stevenson commences his role at the NBL in July.