Ross Smart

Chief Executive Officer @ Classic Sportswear

About

"Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does." – Nelson Mandela, 2000 I’ve built a career on that belief - that sport isn’t just a game, it’s a force for good. Over more than 25 years, I’ve held senior leadership roles across professional sport, government, not-for-profit and media - driving growth, building partnerships, leading teams, and creating campaigns that cut through. In June 2024, I was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Classic Sportswear, a new chapter in a career defined by connection: to people, purpose and performance. I bring deep experience in stakeholder and partner engagement, corporate communications, strategic sponsorships, process improvement, and community-focused campaigns. I’m a pragmatic, energetic leader who gets things done - known for bringing clarity to complexity, building great teams, and staying focused on what matters most: real-world outcomes that drive value and impact. My strengths span Partnerships, Brand & Marketing, Corporate Communications, Media, Community Engagement and Events - backed by postgraduate qualifications in Marketing (UTS) and a Journalism degree from Charles Sturt University. Whether it’s launching high-impact initiatives, growing revenue, or forging strong relationships that last, I believe in sport’s power to make a difference - and in the people who make it happen.

Country

Australia

City

Greater Newcastle Area

Industry

Sports

Skill

Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Public Relations, Marketing Communications, Marketing, Corporate Branding, Internal Communications, Economic Development, Sports Marketing, Stakeholder Management, Social Media Marketing, Tourism Management, Destination Branding, Community Engagement, Management, Business Development, Strategy, Social Media, Sports, Sponsorship Sales

Experience

Chief Executive Officer

Classic Sportswear

2024-6 - Present · 2 yrs 4 mos

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Board Member - NU Services

University of Newcastle

2022-1 - Present · 4 yrs 9 mos

Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia

Chief Commercial Officer

Newcastle Knights

2018-9 - 2024-6 · 5 yrs 10 mos

Newcastle, Australia

Directly responsible for key revenue areas of Partnerships and Corporate Hospitality, Events and Game Day, Membership, Ticketing and Merchandising, as well as the Wests-Knights Foundation and Knights Community Engagement. Leading a small team, we have achieved annual revenue increases across all areas of the portfolio highlighted by a 34% lift in on kit asset value over the five years to 2024. Similar growth has been seen in Membership (50% YOY increase in revenue and 48% increase in total number of members 2023-24), merchandising (50% increase in game day spend per head 2023-24), corporate hospitality and game day attendance over recent years. Led the development and implementation of the inaugural Knights Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2023-25, and instigated the formation of the Knights Indigenous Advisory Panel. This followed the Club’s second ever Ken Stephen Medal win, awarded in 2020 to Connor Watson for his work in Indigenous community. In addition to the aforementioned areas of the business, I have previously managed other revenue centres including digital, communications, and media, and I continue to work in close collaboration with these areas to achieve revenue and engagement outcomes.