Stephen Bourke, SPORTS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

Stephen Bourke

SPORTS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

Independen

Location
Qatar - Doha
Education
Master's degree, MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - International Sports Management
Experience
36 years, 10 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :36 years, 10 Months

SPORTS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT at Independen
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since March 2023

• Partner with premier agencies in Dubai to provide technical guidance for operating models, governance and organisation structures for the largest sports and recreation projects in the GCC.

• Provide strategic and practical subject matter expertise for rights holders, Olympic Committees, national sports federations and government stakeholders to evolve sports sector ecosystems.

• Utilise expertise in digital transformation to deliver outstanding innovation strategies for large-scale sports and recreation infrastructure projects.

DIRECTOR COMMUNITY AND CLIENT SERVICES at MACKAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
  • Australia - Mackay
  • June 2020 to January 2022

• Directed and mentored teams across Venues, Events, Sport, Recreation, Community Development and Communications, amplifying focus on long-term liveability, active health lifestyle and destination objectives.

• Cultivated influential partnerships with government, industry, and community stakeholders, delineating a strategic roadmap for a thriving regional sports industry post-Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

• Strengthened contractual and regulatory oversight across 200+ community sport and recreation facilities, ensuring alignment with strategic imperatives, optimising operations, and bolstering commercial viability.

• Spearheaded strategic projects for priority facility developments, guiding comprehensive market research to discern optimal operating models, governance structures, and activation strategies.

• Achieved destination marketing goals by astutely leveraging a $10M event fund, attracting and securing major events, resulting in a yearly tourism investment of $35M.

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER at Aspire Zone Foundation
  • Qatar - Doha
  • January 2017 to January 2020

• Spearheaded strategy, governance and operational unity of three businesses, unifying 1800 staff and $500M budgets to national objectives, showcasing strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement proficiency.

• Strategically guided executive teams to formulate a strategy, establish a program management office and refine operating models, optimising performance across $3B sports facilities, academy, and medical services.

• Demonstrated exceptional communication and analytical prowess in negotiating agreements with ministries and partners, highlighting a $300M annual contribution to the States economy through member services.

• Evaluated investment prospects aligned with Foundation objectives, including the establishment of an innovation hub at Aspire Zone, fostering a start-up ecosystem with national partners.

• Demonstrated effective prioritization, resource allocation, task management and communication whilst establishing Foundation governance dually as Director of Venues and Administration for first 18 months.

GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER at Sport and Entertainment Alliance in Technology
  • United States - Phoenixville
  • January 2016 to January 2020

Contributed thought leadership to develop conference agendas for USA and UK editions, also chairing key note panels at these international conferences.

DIRECTOR VENUES AND CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION at Aspire Zone
  • Qatar - Doha
  • January 2008 to January 2017

• Led and mentored teams for venues, events, hospitality, marketing and corporate services with $80M annual budgets, establishing the strategy and operations for sustainable management of the international sports city.
• Spearheaded deal-making for 50+ major events including World Championships, Asian Football Cup and Arab games, demonstrated capability for Qatars FIFA 2022 World Cup bid.
• Coached the management team in transitioning the systems and culture from a project ofice into a thriving commercial service business driving growth for global events with government and sport sector partners,
• Established a world-class service delivery model, creating a client-centric culture through cross-functional service teams that surpassed KPI targets of 90% client response times and satisfaction levels.
• Demonstrated advanced interpersonal and relationship building skills, negotiating agreements with ministries and partners for major event bidding and hosting services.

SPORT AND RECREATION MANAGER at TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL
  • Australia - Brisbane
  • January 1998 to January 2007
SPORT at AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY SPORT
  • Australia - Brisbane
  • January 1989 to January 1998

Education

Master's degree, MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - International Sports Management
  • at University of Southern Cross, N.S.W.
  • December 2011
Diploma, POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA
  • at INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
  • December 1998
Bachelor's degree, BACHELOR OF HUMAN MOVEMENT STUDIES – SPORTS MANAGEMENT
  • at University of Queensland
  • December 1988

Specialties & Skills

Sports Business
Venue Management
Event Planning
Sports Marketing
Strategy Work
Sponsorship Procurement, Service Handling Promotional Campaigns for Sports Events
OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
SERVICE DELIVERY
CORPORATE SERVICES
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
BIDDING
HOSTING
GOVERNANCE
LEADERSHIP
Profit Maximization, Management Reporting, Report Generation
IT Related Skills: MS Office Applications, Internet Usage
Clientele Development, Customer Relationship, Contractual Negotiations
Analytical Thinking, Ability to Work under Pressure, Decision Making & Problem Solving Skills
Strategic Marketing, Brand Mgt, Public Relations, Presentations, Change Management
Leadership, Team Management, Motivation, Interpersonal & Communication Skills
Strategic Planning, Business Development, Sponsorship Management
Organization Governance, Financial Mgmt, Project Mgmt, Human Resource Mgmt
Venues Management, Events Management, Hospitality & Catering Management

Languages

English
Expert

Memberships

Sports Business International
  • Member
  • March 2007