As the Australian sports industry becomes increasingly professional and complex, organisations are recognising the critical importance of strong leadership, governance and organisational capability. Sports Advisory Partners Australia (SAPA) is excited to announce the launch of SAPA People, a dedicated People Solutions & Advisory practice designed to support sporting organisations with executive recruitment, board assessment and recruitment, salary benchmarking, and leadership advisory. The new practice expands SAPA’s existing service offering and complements the firm’s existing advisory capabilities across Strategy, Commercial Growth, Legal, Integrity, Governance and Leadership and Culture.
Since its establishment in 2023, SAPA has built a reputation across the Australian sporting landscape as a trusted expert advisor to sporting organisations, rights holders, brands and governing bodies. The launch of SAPA People represents a natural evolution of the firm’s services, responding to increasing demand for specialist expertise in executive search, governance recruitment and organisational design across the sector.
Sam Chadwick, Co-Executive Director of SAPA, said the launch reflects the increasing need for specialist leadership and governance support across the sports industry.
“As the sports and entertainment industry evolves and becomes more professional, organisations are recognising the importance of engaging independent external experts to assist with the establishment and implementation of effective leadership and governance. SAPA People strengthens our ability to support the industry in building high-performing executive teams and boards.”
SAPA People will be led by Jonathan Harris, who joins as Managing Director. Jonathan brings more than 25 years of experience across executive search and advisory within the Australian and New Zealand sport & entertainment sectors.
As the founder of SRI in 2010 with over 25 years of experience, Jonathan has built an unrivalled profile across the Australian sport industry; appointing senior leaders to high-profile roles, supporting boards on best-practice governance, and is a trusted advisor when needing to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Ian Prendergast, Co-Executive Director of SAPA, said the appointment of Jonathan Harris represents a significant step in expanding SAPA’s advisory offering.
“Jonathan brings deep sector expertise and an exceptional track record in executive search within sport. His experience advising boards and senior leaders across the industry aligns perfectly with SAPA’s mission of supporting organisations to build strong, sustainable and high-performing leadership structures.”
SAPA People will deliver a broad range of services, including:
- Executive search
- Board assessment & recruitment
- Senior leadership succession planning & benchmarking
- Salary benchmarking
- Structural & leadership advisory
- Multi-vacancy projects and new-market entry consulting
Jonathan Harris, Managing Director of SAPA People, said the new practice will support sporting organisations as they navigate increasingly complex leadership and governance challenges.
“Partnering with SAPA is highly complementary. I have always believed that effective Executive Search work is rooted in thorough pre-search consulting and advice. The recruitment industry must evolve to stay relevant in today’s landscape, and must provide more varied People solutions.
SAPA People has been established to deepen SAPA’s relationship with its client-partners and support organisations in identifying and appointing the leaders who will shape the future of the industry. I’m excited to join SAPA and work alongside the team to help organisations build best-practice governance and, capable leadership structures.”
For more information about SAPA People, contact: Jonathan Harris – jonathanh@sportsadvisorypartners.com.au