Stephen Gough will take up the important post from today, following the retirement of Michael Malouf from the Trust. Mr Gough has more than 23 years experience leading the administration of elite club and stadium operations in Victoria.

Mr Gough led the Carlton Football Club from 1993 to 2000 before he was appointed chief executve of the Melbourne Cricket Club – a position he held for 17 years, overseeing major developments of the Northern and Great Southern stands at the MCG and developing the hugely successful Australian Sports Museum.

In 2015 he was appointed by the Victorian Government to a steering committee that developed a new operational model for Kardinia Park stadium, leading to the establishment of the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust in 2016.

In 2018 Mr Gough was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to sports administration and stadium management in Victoria.

The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust administers, promotes and manages GMHBA Stadium and attached land with an overarching objective of contributing to the economy, community and liveability of the Geelong region and the state.

Other members of the Trust board are Gillian Costa, Rob Hulls, Libby Mears, Dan Simmonds, Joe Calafiore and Bernadette Uzelac.

The jewel of Kardinia Park is GMHBA Stadium, the home of Geelong Football Club and host of more than 90 local, national and international events each year, attracting more than 400,000 visitors.

The Trust is in the planning phase for the fifth stage of the stadium’s redevelopment, which will help it to retain its mantle as Australia’s best regional stadium.

Mr Malouf was an inaugural member of the Trust in 2016 before being appointed as its second chair making a significant contribution to the Trust.

Mr Malouf took the organisation through a major transformation and oversaw the redevelopment of the precinct into a sporting hub of international quality.