Miles Stewart resigns from his role as Triathlon Australia Chief Executive

Triathlon Australia will commence its search for a new Chief Executive following the resignation of Miles Stewart who has advised he is leaving in May to take up a General Manager position with Abacus Property Group. He is however remaining as an executive member of the World Triathlon Board.

Triathlon Australia President, Michelle Cooper said Chief Operating Officer Tim Harradine would act as interim Chief Executive until a permanent successor is chosen and thanked Stewart for his six years of outstanding service noting that Stewart "has been a passionate part of our sport for more than 30 years and we know he will continue to add great value in the future.”

Stewart said he was looking forward to continuing his involvement in the sport as an executive member of the World Triathlon Board noting “I have already volunteered my time whilst in Montreal for the upcoming Sprint World Championships to support our Australian Age Group team and can’t wait to be on that side of the fence.

“The CEO role has enabled me to return to the sport I love with the skills and experience I had gained in commercial roles, something not all former elite athletes are given the chance to do.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time leading the sport, am proud of the strong position the sport has achieved and I am excited about the opportunity to now move back into my other passion, property at a General Manager level.”

Cooper highlighted some of Stewart’s legacies as TA Chief Executive which include securing multiple world championship grand finals for Australia including Gold Coast in 2018 and a Multisport World Championships for Townsville, significantly enhanced race director relationships, a dynamic strategic plan fit for the next stage of growth, and improved financial stability and funding for the sport.

Cooper added “Miles joined the organisation as we emerged from significant financial volatility and was the right CEO for the phase of growth and development the sport has seen through his tenure. Much in the sporting landscape has changed and Miles provided important connections into the sport coupled with commercial acumen to chart the way forward.

“Throughout his time as the leader of our organisation, he has espoused the values we hold strongly: health, enjoyment, belonging, achievement, integrity and respect. He has led with passion and is held in high regard across the industry as a result.

“He had been instrumental in establishing the organisation’s future operating model which will see the centralisation of resources – people and finances – to better service members.

“He has been tireless in guiding TA through the two difficult years of COVID, maintaining a program of events and participation opportunities during the pandemic and we thank him for his energy and dedication to the role.”

Stewart’s resignation comes just days after the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) completed the first phase of a review into triathlon’s high-performance programs.

The AIS received more than 100 submissions to its confidential survey and conducted over 20 one-on-one interviews. The AIS advised it was about to enter the next phase, which will be overseen by an independent steering group.

A complete overhaul and change of leadership at TA were called for following the team’s disappointing performances in recent years, particularly at the Tokyo Olympics for which Australia was the only country to earn the maximum six quota spots but failed to win a single medal, raising questions about the selection policy.

In agreeing to a joint review with the AIS, the TA board had promised to support the findings as well as vowing to implement a new operating model in the coming months.