Tony Peake joins the board of national body Swimming Australia
Swimming Australia has appointed former PwC global government & public sector leader Tony Peake to its board of directors as the national sports body looks to strengthen its governance.
Melbourne-based, Peake spent more than three decades at PwC, and prior to his appointment as global government & public sector leader in 2019 served as Australia chief operating officer and Melbourne managing partner among other senior roles.
An auditor by trade, Peake departed the Big Four firm in 2020 prior to the discovery of PwC’s government tax confidentiality breach, then watched as close colleague Luke Sayers was engulfed in a scandal of his own, and now walks into another hot-bed.
Former Swimming Australia president and Libertas Solutions managing director Chris Fydler is currently serving an eight-month suspension for improper conduct in relation to an abuse of his position, with his appointment last year following an earlier, historic team abuse scandal and the board’s search for new directors to enhance its governance capabilities and strategic oversight.
On its newest board addition, Swimming Australia said: “Tony is a highly experienced director with more than 30 years of board-level experience in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors specialising in audit, accounting, and risk management. As COO of PwC, his responsibilities included finance, treasury, technology, real estate, business services, and procurement.”
Tony Peake
An accounting and economics graduate of RMIT, Peake joined PwC in Melbourne as a cadet in 1987 before making partner in 1999. From there, he rose up the state ranks, first as Victorian government lead and then Melbourne managing partner. In 2012 he was appointed Australia COO and national government & public sector lead, before then taking on the role globally in 2019.
“Tony brings decades of experience and leadership along with a unique point of view to our global practice,” PwC’s then global clients & industries lead and now JLL’s UK chief exec Stephanie Hyde said at the time. “While each government entity has its own domestic challenges, the value of a global practice is the ability to transfer knowledge and expertise from one market to another.”
In addition to his time at PwC, Peake has held numerous board positions during his career covering a mishmash of sectors, including currently as chair of the Museum of Australian Photography and as a director at Domino’s Pizzas, staffing firm PeopleIN, the Australian Ballet, Greater Western Water, Bakers Delight, and a pair of well-heeled real estate-focused private investment companies.
Peake, however, said his latest role was especially meaningful: “Swimming has long been a sport that represents excellence, resilience, and national pride, and I’m excited to contribute to its continued growth and success, particularly as we head to the Brisbane Olympic Games. I look forward to working alongside a dedicated team to support athletes and help shape it’s future.”
