How our new CEO Institute partnership and Leadership Summit reflect our commitment to developing the industry’s future leaders.
Supporting club leaders to grow, connect and lead with confidence is central to ClubsNSW’s commitment to fostering a strong and sustainable industry — which is why I’m very pleased to announce a new partnership between ClubsNSW and The CEO Institute.
Designed to strengthen leadership capability across our club network and provide greater support for the people leading our clubs, at the heart of this partnership is a simple belief: that no CEO should have to lead alone.
Leading a club is incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with unique challenges and considerable responsibility. It can also be incredibly lonely, particularly in the first few years. This partnership builds on our existing governance and director education offerings by providing practical leadership development tailored to club CEOs and senior executives.
The partnership will begin with a pilot of The Leadership Program for up to 15 participants, focusing on building leadership confidence, improving strategic decision-making, strengthening peer networks and developing organisational resilience. Delivered online over 12 months, the program requires a commitment of two hours each month. ClubsNSW members will receive an exclusive 54 per cent discount, which means that the course fees are $2380 plus GST per participant (post discount). Those who successfully complete the program will receive the globally recognised Certified CEO Institute Manager accreditation.
Member clubs can also access The Executive Syndicate and The CEO Syndicate, with an exclusive 27 per cent discount, providing further opportunities to build capability, broaden professional networks and gain valuable strategic insights.
We look forward to working with The CEO Institute to support today’s club leaders while helping build the leadership pipeline for the future of our industry.
This commitment to education was also at the heart of the 2026 ClubsNSW Conference. What a fantastic few days we shared on the Gold Coast!
Our Annual Conference is always a highlight on the club industry calendar, not only because of the quality of its speakers and sessions, but because it gives us the opportunity to reconnect, learn from one another and celebrate the industry we are all so proud to be part of. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and the many people who worked behind the scenes to make the event possible, including our Corporate Partners.
If you attended Conference, please complete the attendance survey here. Your feedback genuinely matters to us and will help ensure future events continue to deliver the education, insights and experiences most valuable to our members. Attendees will also soon receive recordings of several of the sessions.
Following the AGM, I am also delighted to confirm that Sallianne Faulkner was re-elected as Chair of the ClubsNSW Board and Ron Coskerie was re-elected as Deputy Chair. Sallianne and Ron bring tremendous experience, sound judgement and a deep commitment to our industry. I look forward to continuing to work closely with them both.
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Our investment in professional development will continue next April with the inaugural ClubsNSW Leadership Summit — a one-day event specifically designed for club CEOs, general managers and senior department leaders. We want the Summit to reflect the challenges and priorities that matter most to you, which is why we recently invited clubs to fill out a short survey with their preferences for topics and areas of focus. I encourage you to complete the survey here as soon as possible, as your feedback will help us tailor the program and create a genuinely valuable experience for club leaders.
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One of the most moving moments at Conference was the closing conversation between actor, author and television personality Matt Nable and sports journalist Danika Mason, where Matt spoke candidly about his family’s experience with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and the impact it had on his late brother, Aaron.
Following that conversation, ClubsNSW launched an industry fundraiser for the Macquarie University MND Research Centre, contributing $10,000 to kick off the campaign. All funds raised will support vital research into this progressive neurological disease, for which there is currently no cure.
Clubs have always shown extraordinary generosity when our communities need support. If your club is in a position to contribute, I encourage you to do so here. At the time of writing, more than $34,000 has been raised.
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Conference also marked the release of our 2026 Economic and Social Impact Report, prepared by Urbis. It shows that the club industry delivers over $13 billion in economic and social value to NSW each year, supports more than 78,000 jobs, contributes more than $2 billion in taxes and hosts an estimated 106,000-plus community and live entertainment activities every year.
These figures are remarkable, but behind every number is a person, organisation or community made stronger by its local club. The report tells a powerful story about the contribution clubs make every day, and I encourage members to use its findings in their conversations with elected representatives, community partners and stakeholders. You can read the report here.
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Last but certainly not least, our not-for-profit advertising campaign will be in market for a few more weeks yet and I encourage clubs to share the assets you were provided across your channels. At Conference, I was very proud to show a short video package that perfectly encapsulates the sentiment of this campaign. If you missed it, please take a look below and feel free to share it far and wide!
