Local Person: JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan

by Hobart Magazine

As a member of the Tasmania JackJumpers team, CEO Christine Finnegan brought her extensive sports management experience to kickstart the new club back in 2020. Attention now turns to the women’s team, starting nationally for the 26/27 season.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Canberra and now live in Battery Point.

You’re the CEO of the Tasmania JackJumpers. Five or so years into the journey, a championship under the belt, what is your focus right now? My focus is to ensure we continue to perform both on and off the court through both our men’s and women’s program and that we have a smooth transition into our High Performance facility next year incorporating our men’s and women’s professional basketball program and our front office into one facility

Your career has mostly been with professional sports clubs – the ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels (Rugby Union), Melbourne Storm (Rugby League) and St Kilda (AFL) – what drew you to the opportunity in the NBL? It was the chance to build a Club that represents Tasmania on the national and international sporting stage, believing that Tasmania has been overlooked to do so.

As a female leader across sporting codes, what has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge has been to earn the trust of key internal and external stakeholders and stay true to my key personal values while delivering through a very public lens.

You’re on the board for S.H.E. Foundation – what is your focus there at the moment? Is there anything our readers can help with? Our challenge is to make sure that we can raise enough funds to match the Government commitments so we can deliver a wellness centre that Tasmanian women and families deserve.

Your playing roster would be important for both the quality of the game, and also the commercial side of the team. Is recruitment something that’s solely in the coach’s hands, or is it a team effort? With so many leagues around the world, how do you keep track? It’s a team effort. It takes a village for a sporting team to survive and thrive so therefore there are many layers to the recruitment process. My job is to keep our key recruitment personnel accountable to our strategic objectives while allowing them the ability to chase the players we believe best fit our program. We have extremely talented basketball staff who have connections all over the globe and lean in to them in understanding player availability across the globe.

The new JackJumpers headquarters is taking shape in Kingston – are there plans for the community to access the facility, given the court shortage in southern Tasmania? Yes – there is a community action plan currently being drafted which will ensure we deliver our community the ability to engage with our facility through basketball and high performance touch points.

What’s something you wish more people knew about what you do? I’m like every other person that juggles the demands of life, family and a very busy job. I have good days and bad days and occasionally need the opportunity to have some down time to be present for those people in my life that rely on me.

Who do you admire? Julia Gillard.

*Christine and Jackies coach Scott Roth*

Favourite podcast or TV show? I love True Crime podcasts and political dramas…any shows that fit that brief I love!

Secret vice? Cheese and biscuits and Tassie pinot noir.

What are you reading now? These questions…but also the book our team is reading, Win in the Dark.

What was your first job? I worked in a ministerial office for the Deputy Prime Minister.

What are your daily news/social media habits? I absorb news through all social channels as well as mainstream news streams.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Tricycle Bar.

Lunch: Frogmore Creek Winery.

Dinner: Astor Grill.

Dream holiday destination? Maldives.

Favourite Tasmanian secret? Francesca Jewellery.

Parting words? Defend the Island… always.

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