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Each year, Deakin Business School's Sport Management Alumni Chapter recognises students for outstanding academic performance. Please join us in honouring our 2017 award winners at our annual Sport Management Student Award Presentations.

This year the key note will be delivered by Justin Nelson – General Manager, Melbourne Boomers WNBL on What Makes Him Tick?

About Justin Nelson

People often look a little perplexed when I tell them I left school at 14, moved out of home two weeks later, became a baker by trade, was a father at 17, a grandfather at 37 and my daughter is now my son. Confused?

On a professional front I accidentally fell into the media at 20 and have enjoyed more than 20 years as a sports commentator and administrator, working across Australian Rules Football, the National Soccer League, V8 Supercars, Australia’s largest online sports network, Softball Australia, and these days in the Women’s National Basketball League.

Sponsorship, marketing and promotion have become daily tasks in one of the world’s toughest industries – sports entertainment. Revenue, fan engagement and branding are now my second language. For the last six years America has somewhat been my second home as I’ve watched, picked up and harnessed initiatives from some of the best sports businesses in the world, bringing home concepts that have engaged new audiences.

Over the last two years I have been lucky enough to lead the Melbourne Boomers WNBL – Australia’s most iconic women’s basketball team and by virtue of 33 years in the league, it is Australia’s longest running elite level women’s sports team.

The last 12 months has seen the Boomers transform from being on the brink of extinction to today standing tall as a rising force in one of the world’s greatest basketball cities. It is a success story that can only be described as enriching, captivating and personally defining of two decades of learning, listening and sheer hard work.

When I was 20 a mentor at the time advised me to multi-skill. For the last 24 years that has been my focus – it was good advice.