Changes at the top for Netball New Zealand
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
Netball New Zealand has confirmed two significant appointments to its leadership team, with Jane Patterson joining as Interim Chief Executive and Chelsea Lane taking the position of Head of Performance - Silver Ferns.
Both appointments will provide stability, additional support and experienced leadership at an important time for netball.
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Patterson steps into the role on Monday 19 January, following Jennie Wyllie’s decision to step down as CEO in December 2025. Her appointment ensures the organisation is well supported during a period of significant work and change.
Patterson is a highly experienced executive leader, with more than three decades of experience across sport and major events in New Zealand and internationally. Most recently, she served as Interim CEO of Badminton New Zealand, a role she completed in December.
Her career highlights include serving as Chief Operating Officer (New Zealand) for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
She served for four years as COO and CMO of IRONMAN Asia Pacific. She has also previously held the role of CEO of the Netball World Cup 2007, hosted in New Zealand.
In recognition of her contribution to sports administration, Jane was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2016, and later an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2023.
“Since first playing netball at the age of seven, I’ve carried a deep respect for the game and its proud place in New Zealand sport. Stepping into this role comes with a real sense of responsibility, and I’m committed to working alongside our staff, the Board, and the wider community to ensure the organisation remains strong, united, and focused for the future.
“My immediate focus as Interim CEO is to provide stability, clarity, and support across the organisation. This is a time to listen, to connect with our staff and communities nationwide, and to ensure netball is well positioned for the future - both on and off the court,” she said.
Netball New Zealand would like to thank Jennie Wyllie for her valuable contribution to netball over the past 16 years, and David Cooper for stepping into the Acting CEO role, providing calm and professional leadership during this transition.
Alongside this appointment, Netball New Zealand also welcome Lane as Head of Performance - Silver Ferns, further strengthening leadership within the Silver Ferns high performance programme.
In this role, Lane will support the Silver Ferns with a clear, aligned, reliable and world-class performance system, helping to assemble the team that will take the programme forward.
Lane is an accomplished high-performance leader with more than 20 years’ experience across elite and professional sport, including senior roles with NBA franchises and national sporting bodies.
She is known for building and leading multidisciplinary performance teams and for connecting high-performance environments with strong governance and organisational leadership.
Her career includes helping transform the Atlanta Hawks from a low-performing franchise to a top-three NBA team within three seasons, as well as contributing to multiple NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. Closer to home, her work has strengthened high-performance capability at NZ Cricket and Basketball New Zealand, alongside mentoring performance leaders internationally.
Silver Ferns Head Coach Dame Noeline Taurua said that Lane has many key skills.
“Chelsea’s proven ability to align performance, people and culture will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the Silver Ferns programme. I’m looking forward to working closely with her as we prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead”.
