MI ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• ESG Board Advisor & Chief Sustainability Officer

Ann joined MI after forging a strong and successful relationship on a number of partner projects, including the Qatar Olympic Committee's proof of concept for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She joins MI at the start of an exciting decade of mega sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere. With 30+ years of experience, Ann's leadership style combines her passion for sustainability with her creativity, communications and relationship savvy. Given this critical decade and focus on climate action with social justice, Ann is responsible for the development and delivery of MI's ESG strategy as a company and as a practice of excellence for our clients. She works with teams to develop, build capacity and execute sustainability, environmental, social, governance (ESG) and legacy strategies, management and reporting systems of the highest quality for business, mega sport event hosts and multi-party entities. For the past 11 years and through her firm The Ann Duffy (Consulting) Group Inc, Ann advises event owners, bid and organising committees on the creation of competitive and comprehensive sustainability and legacy plans, management and reporting systems. Key projects include Doha 2032 Summer Olympic Proof of Concept, Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Bid, United 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup Bid, Qatar 2022 Original Sustainability Strategy (with GreenShoot Pacific), Istanbul 2020 Summer Olympic Bid (with EKS), Canada 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada 2015 Winter Games and Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. Previously, Ann was the Corporate Sustainability Officer at the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. She oversaw the development and implementation of the sustainability and legacy strategy with key government, sponsor and community partners and the development and delivery of five annual GRI sustainability reports. Ann helped to spearhead the first integrated carbon management program, sustainable sourcing program and zero waste program, and the sponsor engagement process for Games related sustainability innovations and Games times communications and media relations. She worked with internal and external partners on the Game's First Nations, diversity and inclusion initiatives, each of which established new benchmarks for the Olympic Movement. She collaborated with the AISTS in Lausanne Switzerland to co-create the first Sustainable Sport and Event Toolkit (SSET) which has evolved to support sustainability planning for a range of International sport federations, event owners, sponsors and partners. Ann was a member of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission between 2006 and 2016 where she advised on Agenda2020 and has collaborated with and contributed to the IOC and FIFA on key governance and guidance documents for sustainable development, sustainable event and legacy management policies and systems. Ann was the chair of the Canadian Standards Association Technical Committee for Sustainable Event Management System Standards between 2009-2017. Published in 2010, CSA-Z2010 was Canada's first national sustainable event management system standard. Following this work, Ann was a technical member of the ISO20121 Event Sustainability Management System Standard (published in 2012) and the GRI Sustainable Event Sector Supplement Guideline (published in 2011). Prior to 2006, Ann was Vice President, Sustainable Development for CH2M Canada (now Jacobs) leading the firm's corporate sustainability programme and national consulting practice - sustainable enterprise solutions. She resides in Whistler, Canada with her husband and family where she enjoys the mountains in all seasons.

Job Titles:

• Brand Marketing Manager

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Carissa is a Senior Consultant with more than 20 years' experience delivering major events. As a purpose driven leader, she has the proven results to engage and influence, develop and implement strategic frameworks and motivationally lead teams. Specialising in large scale event and venue projects, Carissa thrives in innovative environments where people are empowered to challenge boundaries and redesign processes. Carissa was most recently employed by Cricket Australia for over 9 years leading the national event delivery team. Here she planned and delivered 60 days of Men's and Women's International Cricket in Australia annually, the largest being the Boxing Day Test. This was a multi-disciplinary operations team, supporting innovative and creative approaches to engage more fans. As part of this role, Carissa developed a strategic approach and critical path planning in conjunction with international venues across Australia. Prior to Cricket, Carissa was a core member of the Operational Readiness team for the London 2012 Olympic Games, delivering the departmental operational readiness program - integrating existing venue staff, venue teams, utility providers, contractors, key stakeholders and the Games C3 structure to ensure the effective implementation of LOCOG's venues program. Carissa has also held various senior positions at several international sporting events including the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, 2006 Asian Games, Australian F1 Grand Prix, Red Bull Air Race and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Carissa has recently made a sea change to the Bellarine Peninsula with her young family and is enjoying exploring beaches and being active in her new community.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Board Director
• Chairman
• Chairman of the Board

Catherine is an experienced Board Director and Advisor for high growth and entrepreneurial companies in the technology and professional services sectors. She has been engaged by MI on its growth journey leveraging her experience in navigating the complexities of building governance and strategic frameworks for growth in private companies.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Chris is a Senior Consultant and Project Manager with over a decade's experience delivering major infrastructure and events. Chris works seamlessly with clients in both advisory and secondment roles to provide project management expertise in a pragmatic and approachable way. Chris is currently providing varying levels of support to the 2022 Wollongong Road World Cycling Championships, Rugby Australia's 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup Bid, T20 World Cup 2022, FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022. Prior to this, Chris was seconded to Infrastructure NSW to provide operational readiness planning to the major $230 million Walsh Bay Arts Precinct redevelopment. This NSW Government priority project was successfully re-opened in 2020 to welcome back arts tenants to the iconic Wharf 4/5. From 2017-2019, Chris completed a two year secondment with the 2019 Japan Rugby World Cup Organising Committee, where he provided project management expertise including developing a comprehensive risk management process, programme management and facilitating integration among local and international stakeholders. Chris also led the development of a comprehensive readiness program which included testing the tournament time organisational structure, crisis management planning and contingency planning. Chris has also worked as a project manager at the Sydney Opera House for various Opera House renewal projects and with the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust for the concept design and refurbishment of Allianz Stadium. Prior to working with MI, Chris worked for a large Tier 1 construction firm and has delivered projects in the commercial, education, defence and logistic sectors which gives him a broad understanding of different client's requirements.

Job Titles:

• CEO

Chris is the Managing Director of MI and has over 25 years' experience managing projects across a broad range of industries, with the last 20 years working in events, sport and place. Since joining MI in 2004, Chris has built an impressive portfolio of client relationships and is recognised as an expert in his field, providing sound, practical and actionable advice in the delivery of all his projects. He has advised on the planning and delivery of a wide variety of global major events including the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games and every Rugby World Cup since 2003. In 2019, Chris concluded his role as an advisor to the executives of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, with the final two years fulfilling the role of Executive Director Planning & Integration for the organising committee. From a venue's perspective, Chris has assisted in the delivery of significant infrastructure projects in Australia and around the world - from the development of feasibility studies and business cases to acting as a client-side Project Director through the delivery stages. Chris was the Project Director responsible for the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct operational consultancy. He also acted as client-side Project Director for the Sydney Cricket and Sports Grounds Trust and the redevelopment of the $200m MA Noble, Don Bradman and Dally Messenger members' grandstand. More recently, Chris undertook the complex benchmarking assessment of the Singapore Sports Hub cost base against other facilities and is currently providing strategic advice and support to Rugby Australia with their bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027. An accomplished leader, Chris' core strengths are in working collaboratively at all levels of an organisation and integrating diverse teams to deliver focused outcomes. On the strength of his professional and personal attributes, experience and skills, Chris was appointed by the MI Board as Managing Director to focus on driving the next phase of growth for the company. Outside of work Chris is a keen sportsman, playing football for his local Balmain football team, playing golf, tennis and running around trying to keep up with his young family.

Job Titles:

• Consultant

Danny is a Consultant at MI with a Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental). A pragmatic environmental engineer with creative flair, Danny has a career that has spanned engineering, events and writing. Danny is certified for ISO20121 Implementation, accredited through the Institute of Sustainable Events. Danny most recently partnered with the Ann Duffy Group to deliver the sustainability plan for Rugby Australia's 2027 Rugby World Cup bid. Danny was also content editor for the Qatar Olympic Committee bid for the 2030 Asian Games and proof of concept for the 2032 and beyond Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant
• Senior Intelligence Expert

Darren is a Senior Intelligence Expert and Qualified Professional Researcher (QPR) with over 14 years' experience in business and audience intelligence across sports, entertainment, tourism and finance. With a combination of human behavioural expertise and business acumen, Darren has an exceptional understanding of the link between audiences and commercials. He has assisted numerous international, national and state sports, entertainment, tourism, government, council and business organisations in developing critical business intelligence to support strategic decision making. Darren is a keen sports fanatic and Ice Hockey player. Having grown up in Queensland, he loves the ocean and wildlife. He is the busy father of energetic twins and is passionate about exploring the world with new experiences.

Job Titles:

• Project Manager
• Senior Consultant

Emma is an accomplished Senior Consultant and Project Manager with over 10 years' experience in sports and infrastructure, joining MI in 2014. Emma consistently manages complex projects, delivering quality results for each client through her consultative and detailed approach. Emma has extensive knowledge across sports consulting, strategic planning, and all project management functions. Currently, Emma is assisting in delivering an infrastructure and overlay strategy for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in Australia & New Zealand, along with various facility upgrade projects for Basketball NSW. She has assisted the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust as project superintendent, managing the upgrade of the video boards and LED signage within the SCG. Emma is a keen distance runner having competed at both State and National level and was recently selected as part of the NSW team for the Australian Half Marathon Championships. She is currently completing her final year of a Masters in Project Management at Southern Cross University.

Job Titles:

• Civil Engineer
• Principal

Hugh is a civil engineer with extensive experience in delivering complex infrastructure and sport projects. Hugh has provided Project Director services to various organisations for the development and operation of infrastructure projects including the Rio 2016 Olympic Park, London 2012 Olympic Park and a $1 billion ammonium nitrate plant in Queensland. He has provided senior client representation on the development of the Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust's Master Plan, including direction over delivery and funding requirements, and also led the development of the Qatar 2020 Olympic Games bid. Additionally, Hugh has worked with the Brazilian Olympic Committee and City of Rio de Janeiro on the implementation of Games planning for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the 2007 Pan American Games. Hugh is a regular member on Infrastructure NSW and Infrastructure SA Gateway Review panels - invited as a highly experienced reviewer to provide expert advice on the veracity of business cases for major state government infrastructure investments. Early in his career, Hugh was a senior manager with Lend Lease Corporation for 18 years responsible for a variety of commercial and industrial projects both in Australia and South-East Asia, including the establishment of the Lend Lease joint venture company in Indonesia.

Job Titles:

• Principal
• Member of VicSport

Michelle is a strategic thinker with a passion for learning and innovation, constantly seeking to deliver sustainable outcomes for her clients. An MBA qualified professional holding ISO accreditations in Event Sustainability and Risk Management, over the course of her 30-year career she has developed deep connections and experience across a wide range of organisations in sport and major events, and more recently in the tourism sector. Building her career from a start in State sporting administration, Michelle has an appreciation of sport and event strategy at all levels from grass roots right through to the International stage. Her major event expertise originated at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and still heavily embedded in the International mega events industry 21 years later, Michelle was seconded to work with the IOC at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Michelle provides advice and planning to organising committees, sports organisations and Government with specialism in strategy, project scoping and feasibility, bidding, negotiations, commercial and marketing, governance and risk, sustainability and operational planning. She also has experience in Venue and Village masterplanning for multi-sport Games procurement and project management. Michelle is an active member of VicSport, a mentor for Women Sport Australia's professional development program and President of the Mordialloc Surf Life Saving Club along with being a busy mother of twins.

Job Titles:

• Principal

Job Titles:

• Leader in Arts & Technical Management
• SARAH / BLACK / Theatre Consultant
• Theatre Consultant

Sarah is an experienced leader in Arts & Technical Management with particular strength across theatre production. She brings to MI significant venue technology expertise having delivered leading-edge solutions in the world's finest theatres. Sarah joins MI from the National Theatre, London where she was the Acting Head of Sound and Video overseeing the department's budget and capital works. Here Sarah oversaw project delivery including a full radio microphone system replacement, production communications system replacement and implementation of a cloud-based asset management system. Sarah is a strong and creative leader with close relationships to all major Australian Arts Organisations having worked in sound and production design on many significant productions over the years. With a Bachelor of Digital Media from the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW and a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management, Sarah is a professional Arts Manager with significant creative talent. Sarah loves storytelling, whether it's through art, theatre, books, festivals or bingeing a tv show. The beach is her happy place, especially when together with family and friends. Sarah's other interests include photography, pilates and travel.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Founding Member
• Management Consultant
• Project Director

Tom is a Project Director and management consultant with over 27 years' experience in strategic advisory and the delivery of complex infrastructure and event projects in sport, tourism, arts & culture. A founding member of MI, Tom has a deep understanding of the tourism, arts & culture and sporting industries. He has an impressive record of delivery for clients across major programs and projects and has advised cultural institutions, sporting organisations and tourism authorities. He has led strategic and operational planning for Olympic Games, Rugby World Cups and other major International events and has led multidisciplinary teams in master planning, design, feasibility, business cases and the procurement of arts, cultural, tourism and sporting infrastructure. Tom is a keen cyclist and sailor who races blue water offshore and crews on performance inshore boats. In his spare time, Tom also enjoys rebuilding his Mako 19 centre console fishing boat.

Job Titles:

• Finance
• HR Manager
• Key Member

Trish is a Certified Practising Accountant with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Technology Sydney and has over 25 years' experience in Commercial Accounting across various industries. Trish is a key member of the MI team, with experience in Financial Management and Reporting, Business Analysis, Tax Compliance, Leadership and System Management. She is responsible for all aspects of the accounting functions of MI with a focus on the bottom line for the business. She provides financial reporting to all levels of the business and produces Board reports to enable the Board to make informed financial decisions from her recommendations. She is also responsible for the full HR function from recruitment & on boarding through to staff welfare, training, performance reviews and implementing & ensuring compliance to company policies and procedures. Prior to MI, Trish was the Financial Controller for IDG Communications which is a global leading technology media, events and research company. Trish is an avid traveller and loves exploring Australia and overseas. She loves family holidays in the sun enjoying outdoor activities such as swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. She is an animal advocate and supports many animal charities helping them to be the voice for the voiceless.