Tennis Australia’s Top Earner Revealed
Tennis Australia’s former chief executive Craig Tiley earned $2.5 million in his final US tax year, the highest compensation disclosed in five years. The figure appears in a 990 filing that details his earnings as the body’s top earner.
Tiley’s pay dwarfed his predecessor, who made $1.2 million the prior year. This places him among Australia’s best‑paid executives.
The filing, required annually by the US Internal Revenue Service for the US‑registered non‑profit, covers the 12 months to September 30 and includes detailed compensation data that Tennis Australia omits from its local annual report.
Tennis Australia argues the numbers are skewed by differing reporting periods, foreign‑currency swings and timing of bonuses, but the IRS‑filed figures remain publicly available.
Chief commercial officer Cedric Cornelis earned $812,027, strategy and performance officer Timothy Jolley $561,337, operating officer Thomas Larner $506,282 and CFO Katrina Blair $694,816 in the same period. These figures represent total cash compensation, not including other benefits.
Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt took $264,547 while Billie Jean King Cup captain Samantha Stosur earned $268,975, completing the executive payroll. Both captains earned similar amounts, underscoring the modest pay across senior staff.
Tiley resigned in February, prompting the appointment of former NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo in May; the organisation has declined to confirm Abdo’s salary expectations. We won’t have to wait long to find out.
Politicians and Powerbrokers Descend on NFL
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s suite at the MCG, converted into a single high‑profile box for the match, hosted more than 60 influential guests. The venue attracted a celebrity and political crowd during the Rams‑49ers showdown.
Among them were News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch and wife Sarah, Tourism Australia chair Penny Fowler, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Sports Minister Anika Wells, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll and a host of state ministers.
AFL commissioner Craig Drummond, NRL chief executive Andrew Dillon, rugby league boss Peter V’landys, Visit Victoria board members Eddie McGuire and Andy Penn, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and chief executive Brendan McClements also attended.
The gathering included US officials such as senior adviser Rob Placek, US embassy charge d’affaires Robert Koepcke, consul‑general Colin Crosby, and international event chief Peter O’Reilly.
Other high‑profile names on the guest list were Brisbane Olympic Games president Andrew Liveris, Australian Sports Commission chief Kieren Perkins, RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale, Hostplus CEO David Elia, Governor Margaret Gardner with husband Glyn Davis, and corporate identities dropping in throughout the match.
The suite’s capacity of roughly 60 accommodated the elite crowd, and many business leaders arrived to greet each other before the game resumed. At halftime the AFL contingent left for the Fremantle‑Geelong elimination final in Perth, while the NRL side headed straight to Sydney for the Rabbitohs‑Knights clash; Goodell departed Melbourne Friday night along with the US teams.
