australian swimming 93rd annual report 2001/2002

10 chief executive’s report
ben austin
Multiple world record holder
Elsewhere in this document, you will receive a
full and comprehensive report on ASI’s
financial position. With a turnover in excess of
$9 million, ASI is now the largest Olympic sport
in Australia. Only the professional sports are in
front of us. The challenge is to keep this
position and then set our sights on even higher
targets. The Finance Committee, led by
Treasurer Colin Davis, keeps a close watch on
our finances and is developing forecasting
tools to allow the Board to plan into the future.
This Committee and the Board have been well
served by our Financial Controller, Annette
Pilloni, who was responsible for the financial
reports the Board receives. Annette has left
ASI after seven years with the organisation.
Annette has been a very conscientious and
faithful employee. On behalf of all Members, I
thank her for her service and wish her well with
her future plans, which include a stint of
volunteer work amongst the needy of Thailand.
Accounts Clerk, Trina Clyde also deserves the
organisation’s thanks for her work in the
Finance Unit.
ASI has continued to support the
state/territory swimming associations through
direct funding and via in-kind support. ASI has
developed a memorandum of understanding
with each state/territory swimming
association. At the end of this financial year,
four of these agreements have been signed o≈
and the other three are close to sign-o≈. These
agreements are a direct result of the National
Forum conducted at Lancemore Hill in 2000.
Falling capitation numbers has been an issue
for ASI and the States for some time.
Unfortunately, this recent trend has continued
in 2001–2002 and ASI has been developing
several projects that are geared to stop this
haemorrhaging. ASI looks forward in
anticipation to the benefits these new
programs can deliver to the sport. Each
state/territory swimming association has
provided a report for this Annual Report.
I thank them for their e≈orts and cooperation
and commend these reports to you.
I am pleased to be able to pay tribute to my
predecessor, Vena Murray. Vena left ASI in
December 2001 to pursue other interests.
Ameasure of anyone’s tenure in this position is
that you leave it in better condition than when
you first arrived. I can assure all Members that
Vena has left the organisation in far better
shape than when she first started. She has
created a strong independent organisation
that is admired not only in its own country but
also around the swimming world.
I congratulate her for her dedication and thank
her on behalf of all Members.
Australian Swimming has a diverse range of
tasks it must perform during any given year.
These tasks would be impossible without the
dedication and skills that the ASI sta≈
members bring each and every day to work. An
organisational chart in this document lists the
sta≈ members and their roles. I thank them for
their untiring e≈orts over the past twelve
months. Their contribution should never be
underestimated or taken for granted. The
quality of their work is seen in the quality of
this Annual Report. The rest of this Chief
Executive Report will be an amalgam of
individual reports written by senior Australian
Swimming sta≈. Their reports are written with
both passion and pride. Their work for
Australian Swimming is exemplary and
I acknowledge their professionalism and
dedication to the sport. I want the Members to
know these sta≈ members and understand the
e≈orts they make on behalf of the Members.
Corporate Services Unit
brendan lynch manager
The newly formed Corporate Services Unit at
Australian Swimming is responsible for Human
Resources, Administration/Finance, Marketing
and Communication, Education/Development,
Disability Services, Membership Services and
Information Technology
Following the organisational review carried out
in early 2001, the major focus of the early part
of this year was the implementation of the
review’s recommendations and the recruitment
of key sta≈ in the areas of Information
Technology, Marketing, Events and Education
and Development. We were fortunate in
bringing some very talented people into the
organisation to supplement those already on
board at ASI.