Hawthorn makes history with appointment of Tracey Gaudry as first female club Chief Executive in AFL

Hawthorn Football Club has made history with the announcement that senior sport executive and former Olympian Tracey Gaudry will be the first female Chief Executive of an AFL club.

After a lengthy process to replace Stuart Fox, Hawthorn today announced that Gaudry would move from her current role as General Manager of Commercial and Growth at Athletics Australia (AA).

Gaudry enjoyed a successful career as a professional athlete before moving into management and administration, were she had previously been Chief Executive of the Amy Gillett Foundation for five years.

In her role at Athletics Australia, Gaudry helped launch the successful Nitro Athletics competition, which debuted earlier this year with much fanfare.

Commenting on her appointment, Gaudrey stated "it is a privilege to have built a career in sport over two decades.

"And to have the opportunity to bring all of my knowledge and experience in national, international, sport-specific and whole-of-sport roles to the Hawthorn Football Club.

Gaudry listed the club's move from Waverley Park to Dingley, women's football, youth academies and the Hawks' "contribution to the community" as her priorities.

Hawthorn President Richard Garvey said he was delighted to appoint Gaudry after an "extensive and thorough" process, saying she will provide "a different perspective" for the club.

Garvey added "Tracey has impressed along every step of the way (and) is a highly-respected figure in the national and international sporting industry.

"Her passion, strong vision and intimate understanding of elite sports make her the perfect CEO for our football club.

"From the outset, we have been clear about ensuring our new CEO was someone who could drive Hawthorn into the future.

"We are excited to have a CEO who comes from outside of the football world, someone with a different perspective who can drive innovation and change."

Gaudry will begin her new role at Hawthorn on 29th May after completing her notice period at Athletics Australia. 

Images: Tracey Gaudrey (top) and in 2016 Hawthorn were identified as the AFL's best supported club (below).

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