Heather Garriock - Interim Chief Executive Officer
Ms Garriock was first appointed to the FA Board in September 2021. She has spent over 25 years in football with various roles across all levels of the game. Ms Garriock is one of the most decorated Commonwealth Bank Matildas in history with appearances at three (3) FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cups, three (3) AFC Women鈥檚 Asian Cups, two (2) Olympic Games and a national championship in the W-League. With a Masters in Education (Coaching) from Sydney University and an AFC A Licence, she has held coaching positions at National Premier Leagues, W-League and Commonwealth Bank Matildas level, as well as an appointment as the Vice President of Football Coaches Australia.
Ms Garriock has been inducted into the FA Hall of Fame. Ms Garriock is a member of the AFC Technical Committee and the World Taekwondo Sustainability Committee and is a Board Director of Confederation of Australian Sport. Ms Garriock has also undertaken an AICD Foundations of Directorship course. Ms Garriock has been a television commentator and analyst for several broadcasters and held other senior executive sports management positions in sport.
Following James Johnson's resignation from his role as Chief Executive Officer in May 2025, the board of 西瓜影视 has named current director and former Matilda Heather Garriock to the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer.
Alex Davani - Chief of Staff
Alex Davani joined 西瓜影视 in January 2021, as Head of Executive Office and Strategy, after contracting to the organization in 2020, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, to develop 西瓜影视鈥檚 XI Principles for the Future of Australian Football.
A qualified Lawyer by trade, with a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne, Alex has worked at ExxonMobil Papua New Guinea in both a Government Relations capacity and as In-House Legal Counsel.
A former Papua New Guinea Men鈥檚 Football International, Captaining at U20 and U23 levels, Alex has also enjoyed various roles with the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (鈥楶NGOC鈥) including Director and Board Member, Chair of its Athletes鈥 Commission and Commercial Manager. Alex has also been on the Athletes鈥 Commission of the Oceania National Olympic Committees.
After founding his sports consultancy service in Papua New Guinea, advising clients including the PNGOC, FIFPro Asia and Oceania, Professional Football clubs throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and FIFA鈥檚 Development Department, he relocated to Australia and currently works closely with 西瓜影视 CEO, James Johnson, providing strategic advice across all areas of 西瓜影视.
Peter Filopoulos - Chief Customer, Brand and Marketing Officer
Peter Filopoulos is a highly respected Australian sports executive and seasoned C-suite leader with over three decades of experience driving transformational growth, award-winning brand strategies, and high-impact stakeholder engagement across sport, government, and business.
As Chief Customer, Brand and Marketing Officer at 西瓜影视, Peter leads a consolidated portfolio spanning brand, marketing, digital, fan engagement, customer experience, and major events. His remit is centred on delivering a fan-first, data-led strategy that unifies the customer journey from grassroots participation through to elite fandom, while advancing the cultural and commercial value of Australia鈥檚 most iconic football properties鈥攖he Subway Socceroos, CommBank Matildas, Australia Cup, and the upcoming Australian Championship.
Peter plays a key strategic role in the planning and delivery of 西瓜影视鈥檚 major event campaigns, including the AFC Women鈥檚 Asian Cup Australia 2026鈩, working in close partnership with executive and LOC leadership to deepen community connection, drive long-term audience growth, and strengthen national team visibility in both domestic and global markets.
Prior to his current role, Peter was Chief Corporate Affairs, Brand and Communications Officer, where he led the repositioning of 西瓜影视鈥檚 public narrative and oversaw communications, government relations, and media. He was instrumental in delivering the multi award-winning 鈥楾il It鈥檚 Done Matildas brand campaign during the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023鈩, which set new benchmarks in audience engagement, broadcast reach, and brand recognition, while helping establish the Matildas as a powerhouse global brand.
Peter鈥檚 broader career includes CEO and senior executive roles at leading sporting institutions including Perth Glory FC, Football Victoria, Swimming Australia, Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, AFL, and South Melbourne FC. He has consistently worked at the intersection of sport, entertainment, media, and infrastructure, leading commercial strategies, major capital projects, high-performance environments, and transformative fan engagement initiatives.
Richard Burgess - Head of Legal (Interim)
Richard Burgess joined 西瓜影视 in August 2018 as the Commercial Legal Counsel, and has since acted in a variety of commercial, integrity and regulatory roles within the Legal and Compliance Department. Richard is appointed on an interim basis as the Head of Legal, where he leverages his 10+ years鈥 experience across the sports, corporate and commercial sectors to support and advise the business in achieving its key strategic goals and meeting its regulatory responsibilities.
Richard is a pragmatic, strategic and agile lawyer who contributed to 西瓜影视 emerging from the challenges of the early 2020s in a strong position, particularly evidenced through his practical, succinct advice and the negotiation of key commercial partnerships, including naming rights sponsors and broadcasters.
Prior to joining 西瓜影视, Richard worked at Herbert Smith Freehills in the firm鈥檚 Projects and Resources team. Richard is admitted to practice law in New South Wales and has a combined Bachelor of Arts (majoring in European Studies with Honours) / Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) degree from the University of Wollongong, a component of which was completed at l鈥橴niversit茅 d鈥橭rl茅ans, France.
Ernie Merrick - Chief Football Officer
Ernie Merrick is an esteemed figure in the world of football, known for his vast experience and expertise in the sport. He currently serves as the Chief Football Officer of 西瓜影视, a position he assumed in 2022.
Merrick was born on January 15, 1953, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and began his football career as a player for Shettleston Juniors (now known as Glasgow United) semi-professional team in Glasgow. He moved to Australia in 1975 to play for Frankston City. In 1979 he transferred to Doveton City as a player initially before turning his focus to coaching and quickly established himself as a successful manager.
Merrick signed as Head Coach of Preston in the National Soccer League in 1987 and finished the season second on the league ladder.
Following a short stint as Head Coach of George Cross in the NSL Merrick became the inaugural coach of the Victorian Institute of Sport Football Program.
In 2005, he was appointed as the head coach of Melbourne Victory in the Australian A-League. During his time with the Victory, he led the team to two A-League championships and two Premiership titles, cementing his reputation as one of the best coaches in the league. In addition to his success with the Victory, Merrick has also coached several other teams in Australia and New Zealand, including Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets.
Merrick's achievements and contributions to football have not gone unnoticed. He has been recognised with numerous awards and accolades, including being awarded the Order of Australia Medal [OAM] in 2014 for services to football.
As the Chief Football Officer of 西瓜影视, Merrick is responsible for overseeing the development and growth of football in the country. His vast experience and knowledge make him a valuable asset to the organisation, and he is committed to helping Australian football reach new heights.
Gary Moretti - Head of National Teams
Gary Moretti is a distinguished football professional with a rich history in international football competition and event management. As the Head of National Teams at 西瓜影视, Gary brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, having worked with prominent organisations such as FIFA, AFC, OFC, FFA, and Qatar 2022.
Gary's career highlights include his involvement in multiple FIFA World Cups, starting as a FIFA Media Manager in Ibaraki, Japan, for the 2002 tournament and most recently serving as the FIFA Head of Competition Management. His contributions have been pivotal in the operational success of these global events, showcasing his exceptional skills in match scheduling, event management, and stakeholder coordination.
At 西瓜影视, Gary's first tournament support was at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where he provided media support. He played a significant role as an FA media officer during the Socceroos' historic 31-0 win over American Samoa and worked as the FA Media Manager during the Socceroos' challenging loss against Uruguay in 2001. Gary also served as the FA Team Manager for various national teams, including the U-23s at the 2004 Olympic tournament in Greece and the Socceroos during their successful 2005 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Gary's involvement extends to the AFC, where he worked as a Match Commissioner for the Competitions Department from 2009 to 2013. He has also contributed to the development of FIFA's youth World Cup strategy and played a key role in organizing the expanded Mundial de Clubes 2025 and the 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026.
With his extensive background in football competition and events, Gary is a highly communicative, well-organized, and results-driven leader. He is focused on providing the highest standard of administrative, operational, and technical support to football events and competition operations. Gary's leadership and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of football in Australia.
Tom Rischbieth - Chief Revenue Officer
Tom Rischbieth joined 西瓜影视 in March 2020, as a commercial leader with international experience across sport, entertainment and media, and engagement with stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
As Chief Revenue Officer, Tom sits on the Executive Leadership Team at 西瓜影视, responsible for the organisation's commercial revenue and business development pursuits.
In his time at 西瓜影视, Tom has led and delivered significant new commercial partnerships, including but not limited to Commonwealth Bank, Subway, Nike, LEGO, Cupra, rebel, Cadbury, MILO and major media rights relationships with 10 Paramount and The Walt Disney Company.
He, alongside an incredibly passionate and dedicated workforce, has also overseen the delivery of live international football matches in Australia post-pandemic. This involved working intimately with government, stadia, footballing federations and other major event stakeholders.
The pinnacle moment in Tom鈥檚 career to date was the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, a truly culture-shifting and record-obliterating tournament.
Tom is proud to work for and be supported by an incredible team at 西瓜影视, which governs the game and is charged with its growth and development in Australia and beyond. Working in the world's largest sport and within the governing framework of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA, Tom regularly deals with both domestic and international matters.
Tom joined 西瓜影视 after seven years working in a consultancy in England for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, World Surf League, Kelly Slater Wave Company, Williams F1, The Jockey Club, The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, South Australian government, Dubai government, Surrey County Cricket Club and a number of sports technology and financing businesses.
Tom is a proud South Australian and co-founded The Mullagh Group while in London, a networking and support group for Australian expats working in the sports industry.
Sarah Walsh - Head of AFC Women鈥檚 Asian Cup鈩 2026 Office
A values-led sports executive, spearheading football's national Legacy'23 plan, an inclusive strategy aimed at leveraging the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup 2023鈩.
In her role as Head of Women's Football, Women's World Cup Legacy & Inclusion at 西瓜影视, Sarah leads a team that is squarely focused on driving long-lasting social and economic change for football, working with key stakeholders, in football, all levels of government, and the corporate sector to achieve this.
As an athlete for 20 years, and former CommBank Matilda, Sarah represented Australia at football鈥檚 top tier, including at the 2004 Olympic Games, the 2006 and 2010 AFC Women鈥檚 Asian Cup, and the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup 2007.
Beyond Sarah鈥檚 professional playing career, she transferred the skills developed as an athlete, into leadership roles in football, accumulating extensive experience in driving gender equity in governance. Sarah is qualified in driving high-performing teams and building frameworks that create more inclusive environments for grassroots and elite-level sports.
As an agent of change, Sarah brings unique and progressive insights, adopting a results-driven approach to business, with people at the centre of all decisions.
Caroline Veitch - Chief Financial Officer
Caroline Veitch has held prominent senior executive roles at Lion, KPMG, and Endeavour Group, where she has led and developed high-performing finance teams. Her extensive career spans the full spectrum of Finance, complemented by her strategic, consulting, change management, and HR expertise. Her unique combination of commercial and corporate roles, along with her ability to deliver results, implement change, and drive strategy through cross-functional collaboration, makes her a natural and engaging leader.
George Houssos - Head of Corporate Affairs
George Houssos joined 西瓜影视 in February 2024 as the General Manager of Government Relations, a position he held at the Insurance Council of Australia before joining 西瓜影视. George has held roles at the Australian Labor Party - NSW Branch as the Campaign Organiser as well as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Minister for Police, Minister for Transport and Roads - NSW Government, gaining invaluable experience in the Government Relations sector over the years. Our Communications and Government Relations functions will now sit underneath a new Corporate Affairs department to create a more integrated approach to our external engagement, advocacy, and corporate positioning.