Experienced executive and disability advocate David Fyfe has joined the Football West Board.
Mr Fyfe is the current Chair of the Fiona Wood Foundation and a non-executive Director of Ability WA.
He previously served as CEO of one of WA’s largest corporations Synergy for more than three years and has held diverse executive positions for over 15 years.
“I’m really looking forward to getting involved with Football West and am very excited about what I can contribute,” he said.
“I’ve always been involved with sport, and I’d like to think I bring a broad range of skills, experience and passion to the position.”
Mr Fyfe emigrated to Australia from the UK in 1991, having earned a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
As a Scot, it is no surprise that he is a big football fan and after moving to WA, he played State League with a number of clubs.
However, his playing career was finished in 2002 when, on an end-of-season trip with Perth City SC, he was severely injured in the Bali bombings. Mr Fyfe regularly speaks of his lived experience of the attack at events in Western Australia.
Throughout his recovery, Mr Fyfe stayed involved with football. He took his coaching badges and helped with his son’s team, before the demands of work took over. Now he is ready to play a new role in the sport.
“I’ve got a very strong business background, having been a CEO, and I also have good experience of working closely with government,” he said.
“I have a deep affinity with football, and nearly all of my mates either play or played and are still involved with clubs. And I live with a disability, so I bring a different aspect.
“At the Fiona Wood Foundation, our focus is on clinical research being translated to the patient bedside. There is no point doing research if people don’t benefit from it.
“I think it’s the same with the Board of Football West. We don’t want to lose sight of what we’re trying to achieve, which is getting people on the park and building community participation.”
Football West Chair Sherif Andrawes said Mr Fyfe would be a great asset to the organisation.
“We are delighted to welcome David to the Board of Football West. He joins us with an incredible resume, both professional and through his life experiences,” Mr Andrawes said.
“He has a great passion for football, a fantastic business mind and a real understanding of the different challenges people face. I look forward to working with him in helping guide football in Western Australia.”
