Who we are
We aspire to do amazing things with great people, driving scalable commercial success and adding value to sport.
Our way
Our executive team
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James represented Australian Schools, U21’s and Barbarians, before transitioning into the business of sport in 1997, joining Godfrey Pembroke as GM of athletesfirst.
Post MLC’s purchase of Godfrey Pembroke, James continued to work in wealth management with Invesco Asset Management, Apsley Recruitment and Godfrey Group (founded in 2004).
From 2010, James has combined sport and financial services as a Director - SEQ Sports & Entertainment finance, Head of Sport - Newington College, GM - Foundation at NSW Rugby, CEO - Loyals Rugby, Consultant – 2031/2033 USA Rugby World Cup Bid and Founding Partner at XV Capital.
He sits on various private and not for profit Boards including XV Capital (Chairman), intaneous, Cohesion Capital and NSW Positive Rugby Foundation. He is a former Board member of the Major League Rugby and the US RWC Bid Partnership.
Stirling is a former international rugby union player, known for his physicality and strong leadership. In a career spanning 15 years, Stirling earned 140 Super Rugby caps and 80 Wallaby test caps. He captained Australia from 2006-2010 and in 2012 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to rugby.
While still playing professionally, Stirling joined Citi Institutional Equities and then moved to NAB in various Wealth Management and Institutional roles. After 10 years of corporate life, Stirling transitioned into a boutique Advisory firm specialising in Alternate Investments (predominantly technology), servicing UHNW Advisors and Family Offices.
In 2019, Stirling attended the Japan RWC, sparking his interest in combining his love of sport with his expertise in technology and financial services. He subsequently consulted to the 2031/2033 USA Rugby World Cup Bid, and founded XV Capital in 2020 with ex-teammate James Godfrey.
Stirling sits on various private and not for profit Boards including XV Capital, Sportable Australia, GAINLINE Analytics, Cohesion Capital (Chairman) and The Rugby Club Foundation (Treasurer & Chair of the IC). He is a former Board member of the Melbourne Rebels, the Rugby Union Players Association and the US RWC Bid Partnership.
Rob has worked in the Australasian sport and entertainment industry for more than 20 years. After practising law for a number of years he joined IMG as in-house legal counsel before moving to the ARU (now Rugby Australia) to head up player contracting and collective bargaining agreement administration. Rob then spent over 4 years with sports marketing agency Sport & Entertainment Limited (SEL), during which time he was responsible for talent management, commercial rights sales, account management and legal and business affairs.
After SEL, Rob joined the team at CSM Sport and Entertainment as Managing Director, Australia. At CSM Rob was privileged to represent a number of rights holder, event and brand clients, including Cricket Australia, Netball Australia, Supercars, Invictus Games2018 Sydney, Jeep, Hisense, HSBC, Specsavers and Legacy NSW. In a career with many highlights, Rob is particularly proud of his work with Netball NSW in establishing Giants Netball and helping to drive their off-court success and the positive impact they have had on netball across the State.
Most recently, Rob has conducted an independent review of the funding and delivery of community sport in Auckland, New Zealand, run two Manu Samoa rugby matches, including a RWC 2023 qualifier versus Tonga, consulted to XV Capital Advisory, performed a strategy and governance refresh for GainLine Analytics and assisted New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs form a commercial collaboration arrangement.
Along the way Rob has also been involved with sports marketing, talent management and event businesses SponsorCom (GroupM), Esportif and SuperFoiler GP and was privileged to spend more than three years on the boards of each of Surfing NSW and SportNSW.
Matt is a dynamic and results driven executive with a specialisation in early stage ventures. His pioneering experience in emerging digital and technology sectors both in Australia and internationally has seen him responsible for leading successful initiatives in M&A, strategy, corporate development, joint ventures and business growth and expansion.
With over 15 years of experience in core regions of APAC, US and UK, Matt has held leadership positions from Founder to C-Suite at innovation technology companies like Unlockd, SpotXchange and Adconion. Matt is Co-Founder, Managing Partner at Place Capital, Executive Director, VP Commercial & Corp Dev at Track160, Director APAC at Respondology.
His passion for digital and technological innovation is what drives him to deliver value adding results for his customers that achieve growth, drive cultural change and have a positive impact on people.
John is regarded as a worldwide expert within sports technology and digitised new economies.
John works at the intersection of data, digital and technology in sports, business, tourism, entertainment, stadiums and venues, gaming and digital health.
John specialises in ‘future of sport and entertainment’ next generation strategy development, managing complex data and process development, benchmarking and budgeting, M&A investment and transactions, technology transformation delivery and complex implementations.
Emma has had a diverse career as both a professional athlete and an operations specialist in the elite sports sector. For the past decade, she has successfully balanced a career in professional cycling with her role as Logistics and Operations Manager for the Oatley Family’s SuperMaxi racing yacht, Wild Oats XI. Emma now joins XV to enhance operations across the organisation.
Emma is also actively involved in various women's sporting initiatives, including Women Racing—a yacht racing team dedicated to creating pathways for elite Australian female sailors to compete as professionals, internationally.
With a keen eye for detail, Emma takes great pride in executing plans to perfection and has quickly become a key member of team XV.
Our Board of Directors
James represented Australian Schools, U21’s and Barbarians, before transitioning into the business of sport in 1997, joining Godfrey Pembroke as GM of athletesfirst.
Post MLC’s purchase of Godfrey Pembroke, James continued to work in wealth management with Invesco Asset Management, Apsley Recruitment and Godfrey Group (founded in 2004).
From 2010, James has combined sport and financial services as a Director - SEQ Sports & Entertainment finance, Head of Sport - Newington College, GM - Foundation at NSW Rugby, CEO - Loyals Rugby, Consultant – 2031/2033 USA Rugby World Cup Bid and Founding Partner at XV Capital.
He sits on various private and not for profit Boards including XV Capital (Chairman), intaneous, Cohesion Capital and NSW Positive Rugby Foundation. He is a former Board member of the Major League Rugby and the US RWC Bid Partnership.
Stirling is a former international rugby union player, known for his physicality and strong leadership. In a career spanning 15 years, Stirling earned 140 Super Rugby caps and 80 Wallaby test caps. He captained Australia from 2006-2010 and in 2012 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to rugby.
While still playing professionally, Stirling joined Citi Institutional Equities and then moved to NAB in various Wealth Management and Institutional roles. After 10 years of corporate life, Stirling transitioned into a boutique Advisory firm specialising in Alternate Investments (predominantly technology), servicing UHNW Advisors and Family Offices.
In 2019, Stirling attended the Japan RWC, sparking his interest in combining his love of sport with his expertise in technology and financial services. He subsequently consulted to the 2031/2033 USA Rugby World Cup Bid, and founded XV Capital in 2020 with ex-teammate James Godfrey.
Stirling sits on various private and not for profit Boards including XV Capital, Sportable Australia, GAINLINE Analytics, Cohesion Capital (Chairman) and The Rugby Club Foundation (Treasurer & Chair of the IC). He is a former Board member of the Melbourne Rebels, the Rugby Union Players Association and the US RWC Bid Partnership.
John James is the Managing Director of Vanguard Institutional Investor Group based in Malvern, Pennsylvania in the USA. John has been a member of Vanguard’s global executive team since 2016. John has spent 15 years at Vanguard and has also led both Vanguard Australia based in Melbourne and Vanguard Europe/UK based in London before his current role.
Prior to joining Vanguard John was the CEO of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL and was CEO designate as Port Adelaide won its first AFL premiership in 2004. His sporting background was in squash where he was a member of South Australian Sports Institute and represented South Australia at both a junior and senior level.
John has a MBA from Adelaide University and also has completed executive programs at both Wharton Business school and Michigan Ross school of business.
Mark Cameron is the Founder and CEO of Alyve, a Digital Transformation management consultancy who are experts in complex digital strategy and delivery and an award-winning Telstra Partner.
A leading digital transformation and emerging technology thinker, Mark is also the only Australian to be inducted into an exclusive group of specialists from around the world regarded as Certified Experience Economy Experts.
Member and contributor to the Forbes Technology Council and a regular writer and columnist on digital strategy for publications including BRW, Marketing Magazine and The Australian Financial Review. Mark is also on the advisory council for Harvard Business Review. Mark currently runs the Digital Transformation Leadership Masterclass at Deakin University’s Executive MBA program and is designing an Innovation & Entrepreneurship degree, also at Deakin.
In addition, Mark is a mentor in the RMIT Activator. Mark is a mentor and course designer for Academy Xi, mainly focused on strategic digital transformation. Strategic advisor to executives and board members in private businesses, ASX listed organisations, and all levels of government. Strategic advisor to the Australian Arts Council in 2020 as part of their COVID-19 Digital Recovery Strategy. Member of the AI Thinktank for NSW Government.
Angus Wilson is a Senior Managing Director of FTI Consulting Limited specialising in Corporate Finance and leading several of the FTI’s Market initiatives.
Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Angus was a Partner at KPMG Australia where Angus lead the firm’s Clients and Markets function for Deals, Tax and Legal, the firm’s Deal Advisory M&A practice for KPMG Australia and ASPAC Tax practices. Angus has extensive tax experience in Australia, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
A graduate of the University of Technology with a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Angus is a member of the Taxation institute of Australia.
Angus is a Member of the Advisory Board of NSW Positive Rugby Foundation, Board Member of Sydney University Football Club and Board Member of NSW Country Positive Rugby Foundation.
Chris owned and operated a number of businesses in the Automotive Parts and Database management space. For over 25 years He built these businesses from concept to exit. Before moving into consulting and sitting on various boards. Now Chris is a private investor with a focus on Property and Sports Technology.
Chris is also heavily invested in Rugby. Coaching at many levels, currently at Gordon Rugby and also sits on the Clubs Foundation Board. He is also one of the original contributors to the New South Wales Positive Rugby Foundation.
Our Advisory Panel
Darren is recognized globally as the pioneer in the International Employment Law practice area and he is the trusted advisor to many of the world's largest companies on matters ranging from day-to-day complex cross-border employment matters on a single country basis, to large and complex multi-jurisdictional employment law projects. Darren has undertaken more than 500 multi-jurisdictional strategic, compliance and transactional employment related projects, covering more than 170 different countries, including projects covering more than 150 countries at one time.
Kaz Naito most recently served as a Managing Director and the Head of Sales and Marketing for J.P.Morgan Australia and New Zealand for their Markets and Custody businesses. He also served on the Board of J.P.Morgan Securities Australia Limited. Prior to assuming this Australasian role in August 2019, Kaz was the J.P.Morgan Asia Pacific Head of Sales and Trading for the Prime Finance business based in Hong Kong. Kazuma was also a member of J.P.Morgan Global Prime Finance Management Team as well as the Asia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Management team. Prior to his 10 year career at J.P.Morgan, Kaz spent over 15 years working for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, London and Tokyo in their Equity Derivatives business. Kaz received a L.L.B from Keio University in Japan.
Trevor is one of Australia’s most active and successful angel investors and one of the most respected and influential names in the Australian tech startup ecosystem. After successfully co-founding, growing and selling his own business for over 9 figures in 2008, Trevor embarked on a practical and hands-on educational journey in Silicon Valley with some of the world’s best early stage investors. He has since made more than 100 direct investments across diverse industries and geographies, including as a seed stage investor in Canva, now valued at US$40 billion.
Monica’s expertise accumulated over decades and across continents has its foundations in the industrial sectors of trade and logistics, followed by a decade in professional services predominantly in government reform and most recently in technology, impact investing & early-stage capital.
Monica has held leadership, sales, operations, and strategy roles in New York, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Perth, Canberra, and Brisbane. She managed P&L to 200m, sales budgets to 500m and program budgets up to 300m. She has deep experience in technology, machinery of government, investment funds and global food sourcing, trading & logistics.
Monica has a fresh, practical and engaging approach to people, change and problems delivers change and transformation. She moves effortlessly from the global system change levers to the person mindset required for impactful growth. She is generous with advice, introductions and is fulled by an ambition and optimisn for a better world.
Our consultants
- Former representative level and 12 year professional rugby player
- National level youth rugby coach
- Executive leadership coach
- Athlete welfare coach
- Leadership workshop facilitation
- Rugby commentator for CBS, ESPN, FOX Sports USA
- Major League Rugby TV Show Host for FOX Sports USA
- Media skills coach
- Founder of Winning EQ leadership consulting
- Emotional intelligence education
- Same Here Global Mental Health Alliance
