Swimming Australia announced the addition of Shaun Creighton to its Board of Directors on Wednesday, with the former Olympian filling the role immediately.
Creighton fills one of two appointed Board of Directors positions added to Swimming Australia’s new constitution that was adopted last year.
In August 2023, World Aquatics notified Swimming Australia of multiple violations in its existing constitution and gave them 90 days to adopt a new one, which was voted on and passed in October.
Creighton is currently a Partner Director at the boutique national law firm Moulis Legal, where he has multiple sports organizations and pro teams as client, according to Swimming Australia.
The 64-year-old has previously served on the Board of Directors with Athletics Australia, the Canberra International Film Festival, the ACT Olympic Council and the recent Local Organizing Committee for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Board of Swimming Australia. Governance is becoming increasing important to all sports, and swimming is no exception,” Creighton said.
“My background as an athlete, coach, lawyer and Board member is primarily from athletics. I anticipate bringing a perspective from a long involvement in another major Olympic sport will be advantageous in this role.”
As an athlete, Creighton was a successful long-distance runner, including representing Australia at both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.
In 1996, he placed 25th in both the men’s 5,000 and 10,000-meter events, and racing on home soil at Sydney 2000, he was 29th in the 10,000. Starting out in steeplechase early in his career, placing 5th at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Creighton ended up racing the marathon at the end of his time as an elite athlete, placing 9th in the event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“On behalf of the Swimming Australia Board Directors, we are pleased that Shaun will be joining the Board,” said Susan Smith, who was named the Interim President of Swimming Australia in September.
“Shaun’s experience and knowledge of sport and his legal expertise will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our governance processes.”
Smith was named interim President after Michelle Gallen resigned in order to take over as CEO at the National Sports Tribunal (NST).
Swimming Australia will have to add one more Director to its Board to fulfill the requirements of the constitution, with the governing body noting it will be seeking one with a skillset in the commercial space in the coming months.
Other reforms made to Swimming Australia’s constiution last year included a revamped Athletes’ Commission that will nominate candidates to be appointed to Swimming Australia’s Board as the Athlete Director, along with an increase in the number of voting members at general meetings and raising the proportion of votes required to appoint a director as president.