Football Victoria has a new CEO who is none other than Chris Pehlivanis.
Pehlivanis is MVP of the football world, coming off a slam-dunk four-year stint as CEO of Western United FC.
Thanks to his magic touch, the club kicked its way to the top of Australia’s athletic scene, snagged an A-League Women’s license, scored an A-League Men’s Championship win, and even debuted the WUFC Academy.
Pehlivanis established a reputation as a strategic and commercial leader in the sports industry before his role with Western United FC. He first worked with Football Australia and then with AFL club Essendon, serving as their Chief Financial Officer.
He played football for East Bentleigh and Moorabbin City as a child.
A serious injury ended his playing career at 18, but his love for the “king of sports” kept him on the football fields.
He then became a referee and fulfilled this role for a full twelve years in the state leagues.
At the same time, he studied at RMIT and later, he did a Masters at the University of New South Wales.
We spoke with Mr Pehlivanis, who sounded excited for this new chapter of his professional life.
“I am thrilled and tremendously enthusiastic about the opportunity that I have been given to help grow football in Victoria and Australia. To make this a reality, all of us who are passionate about football must collaborate and offer appropriate support to the clubs. This will enable them to provide their athletes with the necessary tools and spaces to safely participate in this great sport.”
Football Victoria President, Antonella Caré, welcomed Mr Pehlivanis.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Football Victoria. His leadership, strategic vision and deep understanding of our game make him the ideal CEO to take our organisation forward.
Chris has built an outstanding reputation for his professionalism and people-centric approach. He is a visionary who shares our core values and is passionate about building an inclusive, equitable and strong football ecosystem in Victoria.”
The FV director of Football Victoria, Nikos Vamvakas said regarding the recruitment of Christos Pehlivanis.
“The Football Victoria Board of Directors appointed SRI Executive, an independent talent consulting firm to lead the recruitment process. We spoke with more than 70 candidates directly and conducted multiple rounds of interviews. Ultimately, Chris was appointed based on his incredible track record as a sports administrator, his thorough understanding of the football landscape and his genuine desire to champion Football Victoria’s core values.”
