As Western United prepare to kick off their historic first season in the Hyundai A-League, Western Melbourne Group (WMG) continues to plan for the organisation’s growth with the appointment of a new CEO for the Football Club.
Chris Pehlivanis joins the Western United family as the new CEO of the Football Club. He combines a genuine love for football with over 11 years of corporate experience at an elite sporting level in Australia.
Pehlivanis grew up playing football in Melbourne and officiating a sport he has loved over the last 25 years. Prior to joining Western United FC he worked with AFL club Essendon, most recently in the role of Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Team, but he felt now was the right time to make his contribution with the Football Family in Melbourne’s West.
He has also worked for Football Federation Australia (FFA) and A-League clubs, helping to strengthen their financial performance. Pehlivanis recently completed his Executive MBA at the University of New South Wales and is also a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Pehlivanis is excited by the opportunity to help build a strong club for all football fans in Melbourne’s West as Western Melbourne Group continues its plans to build a boutique football stadium in the heart of Melbourne’s West, Tarneit.
“I am honoured to be part of the next stage of the organisation’s growth. There is so much potential and as CEO of Western United Football Club, I am looking forward to playing my part in building our great game with our vibrant and valued community across Melbourne’s West,” Pehlivanis said.
He takes on the new role from Friday, October 4, 2019.
Since receiving a licence in December 2018 to play in the Hyundai A-League, the size of the business has grown at a rapid rate as the organisation has evolved and the workload increased across the Football Club and new stadium project in Tarneit.
“Given the unique needs of each aspect of the WMG business, namely the football club and the stadium and precinct project, a dedicated CEO of each facet was required to ensure success across all three projects for the long term,” said Steve Horvat, Director of Football.
“Accordingly, as the CEO of the Western Melbourne Group, Maurice Bisetto will now direct all his focus on delivering the stadium and precinct development in Tarneit as we welcome Chris to the role of CEO of the Football Club.”
