Central Coast Mariners CEO Alyssar Narey told CommBank Junior Matilda Talia Younis that the key to succeeding in the administration space in football is to “just go for it.”
Younis had the chance to ask questions to Narey as part of the OUR GAME x LEGO Mentorship Series, where she will have the opportunity to speak with five different female leaders within the football community.
Narey was appointed as the CEO for the Central Coast Mariners in August this year after spending the better part of a decade working in football. Her promotion meant that she became the first female CEO in the A Leagues, a historic moment in the administration of our game.
She spent time at Football Australia and the APL before joining the Mariners as the Head of Operations in October 2023. In particular, she has specialised in commercial operations throughout her career and has been able to use her experiences to help elevate the Mariners.
While Younis’ dream is to become a professional footballer, Narey’s story shows that there are a plethora of roles that women can become a part of in football.
Talia: What’s your role and what do you do?
Alyssar: I’m the CEO here at the Central Coast Mariners. What that entails is that I lead a group of amazing people who look after the day-to-day running of the company. Not only does that mean in terms of off-field, but that also means managing the on-field, and bringing to life what you see here on a match day.
T: What are the key areas of your role in general on a day-to-day basis?
A: A lot of stakeholder management, jumping into wearing different hats at different moments. All of a sudden, we’re talking about merch, now we’re talking about membership, now we’re talking about community engagement. Then we switch hats, and we’re talking about the match we’re putting on this weekend. Then, okay, we’re talking about a different partnership. So, it’s just being able to quickly jump into different areas of the business very quickly and provide direction. It’s understanding time management and stakeholder management, and being able to quickly answer questions as soon as they’re thrown at you.
T: What do you love about what you do and why do you do it?
A: I love it because no two days are the same. I get to work with amazing women and men, and we get to run incredible match days, week in, week out, develop our younger generation of football talent and provide something that’s very special for our community.
T: What are some of the main challenges you face?
A: I face a few in different areas. We have a lot of different challenges that we come up against, but it’s mainly things along the lines of keeping different stakeholders happy. It’s the stakeholder management piece that you’ll find if you ever wanted to go down this role. It’s just balancing out different relationships.
T: How did you get to where you are today?
A: It’s been a lot of years of various different paths and getting to know all aspects of the business. When I first started out in the football industry, I worked within the media and marketing team, and then moved my way into commercial – looking after the different partners that are involved in the sport, and I became more involved in the operational side as well. Then I came across as COO [Chief Operating Officer] to the Mariners, where I looked after community, match days, events, media and marketing, so I received a real different perspective of the business. Then I moved into this role.
T: What was the lowest point in your career, or a memory that you really had to dig deep to overcome – and how did you overcome it?
A: I think COVID was very difficult time for our industry – obviously, it was very difficult for the entire country. The toll of seeing friends and colleagues leave their roles was very challenging. Getting through the period required adaptability and integrity, and getting on the front foot to deal with challenges.
T: Tell us about your leadership philosophy, aligning with personal values and team culture.
A: Everyone has to have a bad boss and a good boss to know what a good boss brings. Unfortunately, and fortunately, I’ve had both. My leadership style – I’m very lucky, I’ve had the best leader of all time [Greg O’Rourke, Former Head of A-League] who showed me some very good skills. On leadership qualities, I try to emulate his. They’ve always been to lead with compassion, integrity, and leading from the front. They’re the ones that I try and bring every day, and you make sure that you stand with the team no matter what happens, and you bring that to the field. You go together as a team. Everything that you do, you win and lose as one.
T: How do you deal with, or prepare for, crisis management?
A: You need to get all of your facts together, and you fact-find. Get all the answers that you need. Then you get on the front foot. You don’t dilly-dally, you don’t hide people away – and you be honest. That’s something I always say, back to my integrity point, you be honest, and you lead with integrity.
T: What does it take if someone like me wants to be a boss like you and run a football club?
A: Never second guess yourself. Just go for it.
This interview was the first in the five-part OUR GAME x LEGO Mentorship Series. If you are interested in getting involved in different areas of our game, keep an eye out for future episodes on ourgame.com.au!