CAROLINE CARNEGIE
Managing Director - Melbourne Victory
Caroline began her role as Managing Director of Melbourne Victory in May 2021. She is also a Director and Company Secretary of the club, having first joined the Board in 2015 and a director and secretary of the Club’s not-for-profit Academy. MVFC is one of Australia’s premier football clubs, boasting four A-League Championships (and three Premierships), two FFA Cup titles and seven time qualifier for the ACL. Along with the A-League men, the Club is proud to compete in the NYL, NPL and A-League womens competitions. Caroline is also an inaugural member of the FA (Football Australia) Women’s Council (WC) and represented the WC on the New Leagues Working Group, designed to agree and recommend the structure for the Australian professional football leagues moving forward.
Caroline has particular expertise in mergers, acquisitions and disposals (including trade sales, management buy outs and distressed sales), contract preparation and negotiation, asset sales and IT outsourcing agreements across a broad range of industry sectors. Caroline also has a sports law practice, which entails advising many sporting organisations on their league participation arrangements, sponsorships, governance programs and more and has acted for many premier sporting organisations. Caroline also provides extensive advice to not-for-profit entities in relation to corporate governance and structuring and was the primary legal advisor to the Australian Professional Leagues in respect of unbundling from the FA, and the capital raise project undertaken with Silver Lake, that resulted in a US$100m investment into football in this country.
ROSANNA BUTLER
Head of Commercial Parnterships - AFL
Rosie is Head of Commercial Partnerships, AFL, currently responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of AFL Commercial Function including the delivery of commercial partnerships spanning our elite and 2nd tier AFL and AFLW competitions, Community Football and Marvel Stadium. Rosie commenced with AFL Victoria in 2013 in Game Development before moving into the Corporate Partnership space in 2015 and joining AFL Victoria Executive Team.
Rosie has 12+ Years in the Sporting industry with experience with AIS, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and most recently the AFL with a background and education spanning Exercise Sport Science and Sports Marketing.
Current director/Board Member – AFL Victoria – State Sporting Association for Australian Football in Victoria
STEPHANIE RUDNICK
GM, Experiences and Events - MKTG Australia Head of PR - Angel City FC
In December 2020, Stephanie and her family "picked up sticks" and moved from New York City to Sydney, Australia, for a new adventure. In Sydney, she re-joined dentsu's global sports and entertainment agency MKTG/dentsu Sports International as the Head of Global Communications and the GM of the agency's award-winning Experiences and Events team.
Concurrently, she is also the head of PR for Angel City Football Club, LA's newest professional sports team founded by Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, and Seven Seven Six founder and former Executive Chair of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian. Other founding investors include Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Lindsey Vonn, Candace Parker, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Garner, Gabrielle Union, Glennon Doyle, Sophia Bush, Jessica Chastain, and Eva Longoria, fourteen former US Women's National Team players, including Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Mia Hamm dozens more, all committed to making an impact on and off the field. Steph is also an advisor for the Beautiful Game Group, a VC fund focused on buying professional sports teams worldwide through a purpose-driven model.
CAROLINE DARCY
Former Global Head of Sponsorship - Standard Chartered Bank
Caroline Darcy is the founder of Milka Marketing, a specialist consultancy providing clients with brand, marketing and sponsorship services in banking, consumer goods, sports, entertainment, and sustainability sectors.
As the former Global Head of Sponsorship and Platforms (Sustainability) at Standard Chartered Bank, she has over 20 years of experience in brand, marketing, sponsorship, PR, digital and social media, and major events management across the APAC region and globally. In this role, Caroline led a global team that managed and maximized the value of the bank’s marquee partnership with the Liverpool Football Club including the Women’s team across Asia, Africa, Middle East, Americas, and Europe. Caroline also oversaw Standard Chartered’s marathon and golf platforms and the bank’s strategic industry partnerships with organizations such as the World Economic Forum. Caroline spearheaded an internal workstream on the bank’s marketing and communications’ efforts in the area of sustainability as Standard Chartered aspires to be the most sustainable bank in the world.
ASHLEY SPINKS
Marketing Effectiveness Manager - Seven Network
Ashley is a dynamic professional with a unique background, holding a double bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science / Business (Sport Management).
In just four years since graduation, she has gained extensive experience servicing broadcasters, rights-holders, brands, and not-for-profits, working at organisations such as Swimming Australia, Gemba, and currently at Seven Network.
Ashley is driven by her passion for promoting women’s participation and representation in sport and sport media, and leverages her expertise in research design and data analysis to provide strategic insights and direction.
SARINA LOWE
Sponsorship & Partnership Consultant
With a passion for creating partnerships with purpose, Sarina has mastered the ability to help connect an organisation's partnership strategy with its business values and objectives. An experienced facilitator, Sarina guides her clients through the art of shifting sponsorships into partnerships that deliver return on investment, business value and strategic alignment.
Prior to starting her own business, Sarina spent the best part of a decade working in sponsorship, creative marketing, major events, digital strategy and customer experience. She has held Commercial Partnership Manager roles at both Carlton and Essendon Football Clubs, RMIT University and she recently worked with the Event Experience team at the 2022 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
When she’s not promoting the power of purposeful partnerships, Sarina enjoys connecting with new people, especially as a mentor to women in business. And whenever there’s spare time in her week, you’ll find Sarina at a yoga or pilates studio just sipping distance from a soy cappuccino.
NIKI WHITE
Athlete Manager
Specialties: Red carpet publicity and management, international and local talent tours, event publicity, talent publicity and management, unit publicity.
HANNAH COHEN
Freelance Writer and Journalist
Hannah is a Melbourne-based Writer, Journalist and Publicist with a flair for unpacking the big conversations. Working as an Account Manager at Melbourne-based PR Agency, Project Hutton, and as a freelance writer published in leading publications such as Refinery29, Fashion Journal, youtime, Missing Perspectives and more, Hannah writes across a myriad of topics in the lifestyle, wellness, women's, fashion and beauty space.