Board of Directors

Chairman - Peter Newell OAM

A retired daily newspaper editor and CEO, Peter Newell has been associated with registered clubs for almost his entire life. Currently serving as Chairman of the Illawarra Steelers in Wollongong, where he has been a Director for 19 years, as well as serving as Deputy Chairman of the St George Illawarra Dragons, Peter was elected to the Board of ClubsNSW in 2004 and 2007 and subsequently elected as Chairman for both terms. As a result of his appointment to Chairman of the Board, Peter also serves as Chairman of ClubKENO Holdings, Chairman of the Government’s Club Industry Advisory Council, and as a board member of the New South Wales Institute of Sport. In 2008, Peter was also elected as Chairman of ClubsAustralia, the club industry’s national representative body. And, in 2003, Peter received an Order of Australia Medal for his service to the community, in particular for his part in the merger between the Illawarra Steelers and St George, in the Australia Day Honours.

To download high-res images of Peter Newell, please click here

Deputy Chairman - David Doyle OAM

David Doyle has served both clubs and the community in a variety of ways since retiring after 23 years’ service in the Australian Army in 1986. He is currently the President of the Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club, and served the club industry as a State Councillor before his election to the Board of ClubsNSW in 1999 and re-elections in 2002, 2005, and 2008. Since joining the Board, David has served as Chairperson of the Events Committee, overseeing the Awards for Excellence and Annual Conference, and brings to the Board the Services’ perspective, as well as that of the industry’s many regional clubs. David is also Chairman, ClubBIZ Holdings, and a Director, ClubKENO Holdings. In 2005, David received an Order of Australia Medal for his committed service to the community of the Coffs Harbour region, particularly through ex-services welfare organisations.

Director - Rod Desborough

When Rod Desborough was first elected to the Board in 1999, he brought with him a club manager’s perspective gained from his considerable club management experience. Over the years he has held several management roles including at Rooty Hill RSL, Illawarra Leagues Club, Mittagong RSL, and more recently St Mary’s Rugby League Club where he is currently Chief Executive Officer. He has an Associate Diploma in Business Management and has served on various zone committees of both the Registered Clubs’ Association and the Club Managers’ Association, Australia over a period of 10 years. Rod was re-elected to the board in 2001, 2004, and 2007. In addition, he currently serves as a Director of ClubKENO Holdings.

Director - Michael Fraser

Michael moved to Tweed Heads from Wollongong as a licensed real estate agent, however chose to own and operate several menswear stores for over 20 years. During that time he served the community through Rotary, including district committees and the Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Chamber of Commerce. Michael owned and operated a limousine service on the NSW North Coast for 10 years then returned to manage strata rentals, before retiring as a real estate agent, stock and station agent and business agent in 2008. Michael served on the Board Of  Management of Twin Towns Services Club for over 28 years, with almost three of those years as Chairman. He is a Life Member of Twin Towns and a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) in Rotary. He was nominated as a director for ClubsNSW in June, 2009 and elected to the board at the AGM in October, 2009. Currently, he is a director of ClubBIZ Holdings and ClubKENO Holdings.

Director - Charlie Gibson

It is with deep regret ClubsNSW advises that Charlie Gibson passed away on 25 March 2010 after a brief illness.

Click Here to read a Club Life Magazine Article on the passing of Charlie Gibson.

Charlie was appointed to the board in 1999, and was re-elected in 2002, 2005, and 2008, all following an active involvement in both the club industry and rugby league for many years. He brings with him a strong passion for the industry, as well as considerable experience in governance roles, including State Councillor for the RCA; President of the NSW Leagues’ Club; Director of the Leagues Clubs’ Association of NSW; Executive Manager of the Mandarin Club until 1997; and, is a member of the NSW and Australian Rugby League committees. He is also a member of the ClubsNSW Events Committee, and plays an active role in the organisation of the Association’s major events, in particular, the Annual Conference and Trade Expo. Charlie is also on the board of Club Plus Superannuation, ClubBIZ Holdings, and ClubKENO Holdings.

Director - Keith Gomes

As a director on the board of Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club since 2004, Keith Gomes has developed a strong understanding of the industry’s issues and challenges, and brings decades of strategic and operational business management knowledge and experience. His professional experience includes several years in management consulting, running his own small business, and with KPMG, as a director in their Risk Advisory Group. Prior to this he spent 24 years in a variety of senior management roles with Singapore Telecom, Optus and IBM. More recently, Keith joined Oracle Corporation as a director, with an Asia Pacific responsibility. In addition, he is the current Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE NSW and immediate past NSW Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association. Keith is currently a Director of ClubKENO Holdings and a Director of the Club Directors Institute.