(ATR) Fiona de Jong is the first woman to be appointed secretary general of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
A lawyer and former triathlete, De Jong took the position of secretary general on Thursday, after serving as the director of sport for the AOC for ten years. She succeeds Craig Phillips, who resigned as secretary general in June 2014.
"I’ve always been passionate about sport, and I have a huge desire to advance the AOC and the Olympic movement," De Jong said in a release on Thursday before adding that she "can’t wait to get back to work."
"After ten years [of] operational experience with the AOC, Fiona is totally prepared to assume the role of secretary general," AOC president John Coates said on Thursday.
"Fiona has developed a close working relationship with our member sports, she understands perfectly their needs, and she will continue to forge stronger ties with the sports and our other key stakeholders in her new role."
De Jong is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her first child. She will start her new role on October 7.
Written by Andrew Murrell
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