Surfing Australia Board Members
Norm Innis
Chairman
Norm Innis resides on the Sunshine Coast (QLD) and has been a member of Surfing Australia’s board since 2004. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, and has extensive experience in the surfing industry. Norm worked with Quiksilver from 1982-2003, holding positions as Managing Director of both Australia and Asia/Pacific, and as General Manager for Quiksilver International. Norm has been involved in the administration of surfing as a consultant and as the acting chairman of the Association of Surfing Professionals (1999 and 2000.) In recent years Norm has been involved with the Noosa Malibu Club and the Noosa Surfing Festival. Norm runs his own investment company, and also maintains his own Charitable Foundation that supports a wide variety of philanthropic pursuits in surfing.
Layne Beachley
Board Member
Layne Beachley is the most recognised surfer in Australia. As a new member of the Surfing Australia Board in 2010 she brings an undisputed level of credibility as both a competitive surfer and a professional business woman. With 7 ASP World Titles and a total of 29 tour victories her competitive record is unmatched. She has also given so much back to the sport of surfing through her public profile, 15 years of active service on the ASP board and staging the richest ASP Women’s World Tour event for 5 consecutive years. Outside of surfing through her own charity the Aim for the Stars Foundation, girls across Australia have received $400,000 in financial grants to assist them with pursuing their dreams and achieving their goals. Layne is also an ambassador for The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Day Of Difference Foundation, Planet Ark and Tourism NSW.
Matt Finnis
Board Member
Matt Finnis is the Chief Executive Officer of the AFL Players’ Association (AFLPA). The AFLPA represents the collective interests of AFL players across a broad range of industrial, commercial and policy related matters.Immediately prior to joining the AFLPA, Matt worked in the sports business group at Lander & Rogers Lawyers advising numerous sporting organisations, businesses, athletes and government agencies in relation to a range of legal matters. In addition to being a board member of Surfing Australia, Matt also serves as a director of HeartKids Australia, a charity supporting children born with congenital heart disease.
Don O'Rorke
Board Member
Don O’Rorke resides in NSW, and has been a member of Surfing Australia board for the past two years. Don has a Business degree, and has been involved in property development and funds management for the past 30 years. Don is the Managing Director of Consolidated Properties, a company he played a major role in establishing in 1979. In 2007, Don expanded his private business operations to include hotel, resort and pub ownership and management. These services are provided through Consolidated Properties' hotel division, the Pub Group. With business partners, Don is also part owner of Consolidated Properties' affiliated businesses L2 Capital, Casuarina Beach (the home of Surfing Australia), Links Hope Island and Domain Resorts and Residences. He is also a former director of listed national property group Trinity, in which he remains a major shareholder; and a past president of the property council of Australia’s Queensland division, a former director of Brisbane Marketing and Wesley Research Institute.
Mal Gregson
Board Member
Mal Gregson lives and surfs at Phillip Island, Victoria. He is a life member of Phillip Island Board Riders Club, and Surfing Victoria. Mal has been a board member since 1993. Mal has been an avid surfer since the late sixties and has won club, state and national titles. He has been the contest director of the Rip Curl Pro, the World Grommet Titles, the Australian Grommet Titles and a host of ASP related events. Mal helped pioneer the computer scoring system in Australasia and has been manager/coach of the Australian Team in Durban and Ecuador at the World Surfing Games.
Sean Doherty
Board Member
Sean Doherty lives in Jan Juc and can regularly found in the lineup at Bells Beach or Winkipop. After graduating from Newcastle University with a Business degree he took a job working at Tracks surfing magazine. After 10 years at the magazine he has become its longest serving and most successful editor. During his tenure at Emap, Tracks publisher, he won three consecutive Writer of the Year awards as well as an Editor of the Year award. His writing has been published widely in magazines across the world, and has written three books. His debut book, the biography of surfing legend Michael Peterson, became a national bestseller and the basis for an upcoming feature film. He has commentated 30 WCT events, and works today as a freelance writer and editorial consultant. He has been a board member of Surfing Australia since 2004.
Rob Coombe
Board Member
Rob was the Group Executive Westpac Retail and Business Banking between February 2010 and January 2012. During this time he had responsibility for all of Westpac's retail, small-to-medium enterprises and commercial customers in Australia. For 6 years prior to this Rob was the Chief Executibe of the BT Financial Group. Rob has over 30years experience in banking, finance and wealth management. He is also a Director of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and a member of the Advisory Board to the UTS Faculty of Law. In 2011 Rob was awarded the UTS Alumni of the Year for Excellence in recognition of his achievements in the business community and social sector.
Wayne Bartholomew
Patron
Wayne Bartholomew finished his career with no less than nine Top 3 finishes in World Championships, including 3 wins, 3 runner- ups and 3 third placings. He was ensconced in the World Top 5 for ten consecutive years. After retiring, Rabbit fulfilled his vision by taking the helm of world professional surfing, becoming CEO of ASP International for four years and President for ten. Rabbit was not only a charismatic figurehead, as an administrator he implemented radical and revolutionary measures that finally delivered the dream of multi-million dollar sponsorships and events.
Bartholomew retired from the helm of the ASP to take on the Chairmanship of Greencell, a green technology entity that has developed new age applications to sequester greenhouse gases. The environment was always Rabbit's other great passion and he is bringing his highly motivated ambitions to this new frontier of science and technology. Bartholomew was awarded an AM on January 26, 2009 for being a champion, an administrator, a mentor and for work in the environment. We are truly honoured by his acceptance of the position of Patron of Surfing Australia.
Watch This Space
Event Partners
Newsletter
Got your head in the sand?
Click the link below to view the latest Surfing Australia newsletter online:
» Surfing Australia newsletterVB - Real Beer, Real Surfing on Facebook
