VSA Appoints Paul Bauer as Chief Executive Officer
24 June 2026
SAVL Performance Our People Juniors Fun and Social CompetitiveVolleyball South Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Bauer as Chief Executive Officer, commencing on 13 July 2026.
Bringing almost 30 years of leadership experience across elite and community sport, Paul joins Volleyball SA following a career spanning the AFL, NBL and not-for-profit sectors. His extensive experience in strategic leadership, commercial growth, stakeholder engagement and organisational development positions him well to lead the next chapter of growth for volleyball in South Australia.
Most recently, Paul served as Chief Commercial and Growth Officer at the Animal Welfare League of South Australia, where he led organisation-wide growth initiatives across partnerships, fundraising, marketing, communications and community engagement. Prior to this, he spent more than 16 years in senior leadership roles with the Adelaide Football Club and held an executive leadership position with the Adelaide 36ers.
Volleyball South Australia Chairperson Olivia Orchard said the Board was excited to appoint a leader with Paul's depth of experience and passion for community sport.
"Paul brings a wealth of experience leading organisations through growth and change, building strong partnerships and creating sustainable opportunities for future success. Throughout the recruitment process, he demonstrated a genuine passion for sport and a clear understanding of the important role Volleyball SA plays in supporting clubs, participants, officials, volunteers and stakeholders across South Australia."
"The Board is confident Paul's leadership, commercial expertise and people-first approach will help us continue to strengthen our sport, grow participation and create meaningful opportunities for our volleyball community. We are excited to welcome him to Volleyball SA and look forward to working together to deliver on the organisation's strategic vision."
Paul said he was excited to be joining Volleyball SA and supporting the continued growth of the sport across South Australia.
"I am incredibly excited to be joining Volleyball SA as CEO and to have the opportunity to support and lead the continued growth of such a fantastic global sport. While I may be new to the volleyball community, I bring almost 30 years of experience working in professional sport and have been involved in local community sport for the majority of my life. I look forward to listening, learning and connecting with the clubs, athletes, volunteers, partners and stakeholders who make this sport so special."
"I've spent most of my career building sustainable sporting organisations, and I'm excited to share that experience and work with the volleyball community to create new opportunities, grow participation, and drive the game forward across South Australia."
The Board would also like to acknowledge and thank outgoing CEO Karla Della Pietra for her significant contribution to Volleyball South Australia. Karla leaves the organisation in a strong position, and the Board wishes her every success in her future endeavours.
From the VSA Board