FFA appoints Tom Rischbieth as new GM Commercial - Leagues

2 min read 29 January 2020

Football Federation Australia (FFA) today announced the appointment of Tom Rischbieth to the role of General Manager Commercial for the Leagues (Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League, Foxtel Y-League and E-League).

The role is a critical part of the professional Leagues strategy to increase its revenues as the game continues to grow and expand into new local and overseas markets. Rischbieth will be responsible for the commercialisation of Leagues.

Born and bred in Adelaide, Rischbieth joins the organisation after 6 years with the UK-Based company “Sports Rights Management”, where he has been focused on creating and executing strategies to deliver new revenue for rightsholders across sport and entertainment.

Main image courtesy of Tucker Images

The Head of Leagues, Greg O’Rourke, believes that Rischbieth was the outstanding candidate for the position and will be a key appointment for the Leagues.

“We are excited that Tom will be joining us soon to bring his global experience to a new era for our professional leagues, ” said O’Rourke.

“His established track record working with a wide range of rights holders will be a fresh approach to our business as we look to improve our commercial revenues and attract new partnerships and opportunities for the whole football economy.

“I look forward to working closely with Tom as we continue to build our senior management team for the Leagues,” concluded O’Rourke.

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Tom Rischbieth is looking forward to the new challenge that lays ahead of him.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had exposure to a diverse range of international sport and entertainment formats, but football’s position in the global sporting psyche is unrivalled. I’m now incredibly excited to be joining the football family in Australia, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Rischbieth.

“From a commercial perspective, football allows brands and broadcasters to talk, connect and transact with a passionate fan base that includes the largest participation numbers of any sport in Australia.

“It is a pivotal time for our sport and I’m looking forward to working with all our stakeholders - fans, players, clubs, partners, broadcasters, and everyone within the game to keep it driving upwards.

“I feel privileged to be joining the Leagues at such an important time,” concluded Rischbieth.

Rischbieth will commence his duties on 2 March 2020.

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