1. Turned a sponsorship crisis into global innovation

The Challenge

When COVID compromised in-person sponsorship activations and travel to the Australian Open (AO), key sponsor relationships and hundreds of millions in revenue were at risk. We needed a new way to deliver contracted sponsor experiences and prove the AO’s value.

The Solution

The AO Virtual Hub (AOVH): an immersive digital platform where sponsors and guests could explore the event precinct, join live player meet-and-greets, attend arena tours & watch exclusive behind-the-scenes content from anywhere in the world.

My Role

Pitched the AOVH concept and led from idea to delivery as Project Manager. Secured executive buy-in and budget (despite a COVID-era spending freeze), while managing 20+ collaborators working across 4 continents to deliver under excruciatingly tight timelines.

The Result:

  • 100% of sponsor revenue retained—despite limited event attendance/activations

  • Used by 28 sponsors in 24 countries

  • Shipped in under 10 weeks—delivered on time and under budget

  • First-of-its-kind digital experience in global sport—positioning the AO as a leader in digital innovation and sponsor engagement

The Ripple Effect:

AOVH’s success sparked the AO’s digital evolution, becoming a Web3 industry-leader:

  • AO Decentraland: First Grand Slam to enter the Metaverse; biggest live event in Decentraland history

  • AO Art Ball NFTs: 6.7K NFTs sold out in 3 minutes; Cannes Lions winner

  • AO Adventure on Roblox: #1 sports brand on Roblox; 250M+ sessions/20K+ DAUs

2. Built an industry-defining creative department from scratch

The Challenge

The Australian Open (AO)’s commercial ambitions were outpacing its creative capabilities. A small creative duo was juggling increasing demands across Sponsorship, Retail, Digital, Marketing & more—failing to deliver consistently or efficiently, and lacking the resources and structure to grow.

The Solution

Transformed this creative duo into a 10-person, full-service studio (Commercial Solutions)—with the tools, talent & workflows to deliver industry-leading work at scale. Introduced clear creative direction and operational structure, shifting a reactive team into a revenue-generating machine.

My Role

Led the evolution of Commercial Solutions, building a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team of creatives from the ground up. Owned all budgeting, hiring, stakeholder alignment, and creative direction—while cultivating a collaborative and high-trust team culture.

The Result:

  • Scaled the team by 350% in <2 years to meet growing cross-functional demand

  • Delivered thousands of campaigns, assets, and strategies across hundreds of diverse commercial initiatives

  • Eliminated reliance on external agencies, reducing spend & accelerating delivery

  • Established department as a business-critical, revenue generating function

  • Built a resilient and supportive team culture with strong retention rates

The Ripple Effect:

What started as an internal creative unit is now on track to become an external-facing agency—responding to inbound briefs beyond the AO’s existing network. Setting the benchmark for sport organisations exploring in-house creative models.

3. Rewrote sponsor strategy to drive commercial wins

The Challenge

The Australian Open (AO)’s partnership approach relied heavily on the tournament’s credentials and Grand Slam prestige. To win major deals in the highly-competitive market, the AO needed to match evolving brand expectations; placing brands at the center of the sponsorship story.

The Solution

Overhauled the sponsorship strategy and the way the AO went to market. Developed bespoke, high-impact sponsorship assets, activations, campaigns & narratives that showcased the AO as an integrated and highly-effective global marketing platform.

My Role

Worked hand-in-hand with Business Development to craft a highly-personalized sponsorship strategy. Led the team behind the creative and strategic work needed to get multi-million dollar deals over the line and into the world, including research, storytelling, design & production.

The Result:

  • Helped land 40+ global sponsorship deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars

  • Increased pitch win rate and shortened sales cycles through sharper storytelling and elevated creative output

  • Developed unforgettable sponsorship activations and campaigns for brands like Marriott Bonvoy, Louis Vuitton, M&M’s, Aperol Spritz, Grey Goose, Dunlop & more

  • Directly supported purpose-driven sponsorships incl. Pride (Ralph Lauren, Mastercard, Squealing Pig), Sustainability (Pirelli, Waterdrop, Pacific Blue), Youth Sport (Kia, Emirates, Weetabix) & more

The Ripple Effect:

Our brand-first, insight-led approach became the new standard for sponsorship storytelling at the AO—driving better alignment, faster conversions, and stronger long-term relationships. Along with cementing my team’s role as an essential revenue-driver.