Corporate Profile

Peter Newell OAM is a retired newspaper editor and CEO who has a lifelong association with registered clubs. He has been on the Board of the Illawarra District Rugby League Football Club since 1989, and became the Chairman of ClubsNSW and ClubKENO Holdings in 2004. He was the Chairman of Clubs Australia from 2007 - 2018. In 2009, he was elected as the Patron of the NSW Academies of Sport, and was the Employer Representative Director of Club Plus Superannuation from 2011 - 2015.  In 2003, Peter was awarded an Order of Australia Medal, for the role he played in the merger of the Steelers and St George to form the St George Illawarra Dragons and for service to the community.

Dr George Peponis OAM previously served as a Director of the Canterbury League Club and is a Life Member of both the Bulldogs Football Club and the registered club. He has been Chairman of the NSW Rugby League since 2012, and was previously Chairman of 2017 Rugby League World Cup. Dr Peponis was elected as a Director of ClubsNSW at the 2017 AGM, and was appointed to the position of Deputy Chair in 2018. Dr Peponis graduated from the University of NSW with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1976 and has since worked as a general medical practitioner. In the 2013 Australia Day Honours Awards, he received an OAM for services to rugby league and the community.

Paul brings 25 years of industry experience and post-graduate qualifications from the University of Newcastle. Paul is the CEO of the Mingara Leisure Group, which includes Mingara Recreation Club, The Westport Club, Lantern Club, and Springwood Sports Club. Paul brings extensive industry operational experience, and in 2014 became a Graduate of the AICD. Prior to his appointment to the ClubsNSW Board in 2010, Paul was the State Councillor for the Central Coast Region and in 2014, was appointed to the Board of ClubBIZ, then appointed chair in 2018. Also, in 2018 Paul was appointed to the Nominations and Remunerations Committee.

Dr Christina Curry is a Director of The Randwick Club, Randwick Bowling Club and Coogee Beach Club. In 2016, Christina became the first female to be elected to the ClubsNSW Board. She is a CDI and AICD member. Widely engaged with the community, Christina is the Chair of Bayside Women’s Shelter, Patron of a women and children’s centre and a local government councillor. Holding a PhD, a Master of Education degree and a Bachelor of Physical Education, Christina is currently employed with Western Sydney University as the Director, Academic Program – Secondary Education. With 20 years’ experience in education, she was previously a lecturer and tutor at the University of Sydney. 

Keith Gomes was elected to the Board of ClubsNSW and ClubKENO Holdings as a Non-Executive Director in 2009. He is currently Executive Director at Sqreem Technologies. Previously, Keith has served for twelve years on the board of a large club as a Non-Executive Director and on several private, public sector boards and advisory bodies. His experience spans industry sectors including financial services, hospitality, information technology, telecommunications, vocational education and professional services in Australasia with organisations including Oracle Corporation, KPMG, Optus, Singapore Telecom and IBM. He is a Fellow of the AICD.

Sallianne Faulkner is the most recent appointment to the ClubsNSW Board, filling the casual vacancy created by the retirement of Deputy Chairman Michael Fraser in May 2018. Sallianne is a member of AICD, Women On Boards and serves on a not for profit board, St George Children with Disabilities Fund. Sallianne was elected as President of the Ramsgate RSL Memorial Club in 2014 after joining the club  board in 2012, and has been instrumental in driving its process of governance reform. She is the Secretary/Treasurer of the ClubsNSW Southern Metropolitan Region, commencing in that role in 2015.