Rowing New Zealand Chief Executive Announcement
Rowing NZ has appointed Geoff Barry as its new CEO. Geoff is currently General Manager Community Activation at Sport NZ, a role he held for the past nine years. He will commence his new role at Rowing NZ on the 28th of June.
Geoff is an experienced CEO, sport administrator and former elite coach. Prior to starting at Sport NZ he was Chief Executive of both Surf Life Saving NZ and Sport Canterbury.
During his time at Sport NZ, Geoff has overseen the development of the 2016-20 Community Sport Strategy and 2020-24 Sport NZ Strategy, led the growth of the research and intelligence produced for the sector and formed Sport NZ’s first Rautaki Māori team to both grow Māori participation and build the government agency’s cultural capability. His role is also responsible for disability and women and girls, and for leading Sport NZ’s work on talent development, including the Balance is Better philosophy and (together with HPSNZ) the design and implementation of Pathway to Podium.
“Geoff is an experienced leader with extensive knowledge and networks across the High Performance and broader sector. His understanding of sport from elite to club and school level, including the pressures facing young people, will make him a major asset for Rowing NZ and our sport,” says Rowing NZ Chair Gerry Dwyer.
Geoff Barry says he is excited about joining Rowing NZ and contributing to the growth and success of the sport.
“Rowing is a sport with an extremely proud history at international, club and school level. I am looking forward to working with the team at Rowing to explore how we can improve our ability to build on these strengths and ensure we are winning on the world stage and catering to needs of athletes and participants at all levels of our sport.”
“Obviously the immediate priority is to ensure our Olympic athletes maintain their preparations for Tokyo. After what has been an extended and challenging Olympic cycle, it’s important they continue to have all the support they need to have the best shot of realising their potential,” says Geoff Barry.