The Wanneroo Basketball Association – Joondalup Wolves are pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Kennedy as its new Chief Executive Officer. After an extensive national recruitment process that yielded an extremely high calibre pool of applicants, it was evident Rob is the perfect person to lead the club in its next phase.
Rob is an experienced sports executive with 15+ years’ success leading teams, growing participation, and driving community-focused impact across State and National sporting bodies. He has a strong record of developing people, building high-performing teams, and guiding organisations through strategic growth, governance reform, and partnership development. Rob is a respected sports executive who cultivates purpose-led environments, while balancing commercial performance with community outcomes. He is experienced in navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, securing multi-year funding partnerships, and delivering clear strategic directions.
Rob joins the WBA after an incredibly successful career across a wide variety of sports. Most recently Rob served as the Chief Executive Officer of Equestrian WA and also Badminton WA. Prior to that he spent nine years at Tennis West in multiple roles such as Development Manager, Head of Participation, and Head of Tennis.
Rob is a former collegiate tennis player in the USA, as well as an experienced AFL coach having worked with WAFL and AFLW teams. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Majoring in Sports Management, a post graduate in Management & Leadership, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Business.
“I’m both, honoured and excited to be joining the Wanneroo Basketball Association and Joondalup Wolves as CEO and becoming part of such a passionate and successful basketball community.
The Wolves have a proud history, strong culture and exciting future, and I’m looking forward to working with the Board, staff, volunteers, members, partners and players to continue building something special together.
Basketball and sport, has an incredible ability to bring people together, and I’m excited by the opportunity to support the growth of the game while creating positive experiences for everyone involved.
I would also like to acknowledge Andrew for his leadership and contribution to the Association. He has played a significant role in building a strong foundation for future success, and I look forward to continuing that momentum and working with the Wolfpack community to support the next phase of growth” said Rob Kennedy.
Outgoing CEO Andrew Summerville had the following to say on the appointment of Rob:
“Rob is an outstanding sports executive with a wide variety of experience and a skillset that perfectly aligns to the direction the association is heading. He was the clear standout from a very strong field that included applicants from AFL, Super Rugby, NBL, and A-League teams around Australia. However, what set Rob apart was his deep passion for, and understanding of grass roots and community sports.
Rob is focused on our next phase of growth and our upcoming expansion in to Alkimos and the Northern Growth Corridor. His ability to execute participation growth strategies is exactly what we need to deliver on our northern facilities project that has been years in the making.
Rob has all the qualities we need to continue the trajectory of success the association is on. We can expect the WBA to become bigger and better under his leadership and everyone from top to bottom will benefit from his approach to organisational growth and community focused outcomes.
I can wait to see what Rob can do with this great club. This is an exciting time for the WBA”.
Rob will commence in his role on the 22nd of June and will spend some time in a handover period transitioning the club to ensure there is no disruption to business operations and members.
Welcome to the Wolfpack Rob.