Australia’s most successful Olympic sailor, Mat Belcher OAM is stepping up from his role as Board Director to take over as CEO for Zhik.
Matt Belcher (left) and Will Ryan winning Gold at Tokyo 2020. Credit: Sailing Energy
The appointment comes as Mat officially retires from the Olympic sailing circuit and his involvement with the Australian Sailing Team. Mat has already served as a member of the company’s Board of Directors for a year and is fully immersed in Zhik’s strategic plans for future growth.
With two Olympic Gold and one Silver medal, ten World Championship titles and the 2013 Rolex World Male Sailor of Year to his name, Mat is no stranger to top level leadership and strategic focus. In the previous five years, whilst campaigning for the Olympics, he completed a double Masters degree and has been actively involved in several entrepreneaurial business projects. The father of four will spend time working from two offices located on the Gold Coast and Sydney.v
Mat comments, “I have known the team at Zhik for quite some time with my involvement in the brand spanning over 17 years, from an original Zhik team athlete to then transition on to the Zhik board in recent years. This time has enabled me to develop a good understanding of the business and the complex market environment. To be in a postion to guide Zhik’s future with the team we have is a privilege for me.
Ben Houston, CEO of Australian Sailing adds, “Although it’s a sad day for us as Mat moves on from Olympic campaigning after 22 years, we feel this is an excellent new direction for him to take. With his background in high performing teams, we believe he has the leadership qualities, capabilities and communication skills to continue to push Zhik forwards in a very competitive market place.”
Whilst moving away from top level campaigning, Mat won’t be too far from the water and will be seen regularly around at local yacht clubs.
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