The North Melbourne Kangaroos are delighted to announce Dr Sonja Hood is now officially the President of the club, taking the reins from outgoing President Ben Buckley.

She assumes the role as Andrew Harris and Rodney Piltz, both of whom are members of the Match Committee coterie group, also join the Kangaroos’ board.

Dr Hood has been a member of the North Melbourne board since 2019 and is the current CEO of Community Hubs Australia (CHA), a national partnership which encourages social cohesion and supports migrant and refugee families to connect, share and learn.

Her expertise in government relations, strategy, fundraising and organisational development has seen her grow CHA from 39 sites to nearly 100 across four states over the past five years.

A true North person, Dr Hood comes from a long line of passionate North Melbourne supporters, and her connection to the club began on the terraces of Arden St as a young girl.

Like all members and supporters, Dr Hood has followed the ups and downs of the club all her life and will now lead the club into the next phase of our future.

The club’s General Manager of Community Engagement from 2011 – 2015, Dr Hood played a key role in establishing the club’s community arm, The Huddle. Dr Hood led The Huddle from its inception, ensuring it was developed into one of the best community programs in the country.

Director of the Scanlon Foundation and formerly board chair of McAuley Community Services for Women, Dr Hood holds as PhD in Population Health from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s Degree in Policy from Penn State University.

“I’m extremely honoured to lead the North Melbourne Kangaroos, a club I’ve loved all my life,” Dr Hood said.

“Our future is bright and I’m looking forward to working with our board, CEO Ben Amarfio, our players and staff as we move into the next phase of our journey.

“To Ben Buckley, thank you for leading our club with such professionalism. You leave behind a great legacy.”

Buckley reflected on his tenure as he handed over to Dr Hood.

“After nine years on the board and six as President, I depart with great pride on where our club currently sits,” Buckley said.

“Sonja is as North Melbourne as anyone I’ve met. I couldn’t think of a better person to lead the club into the future.

“Sonja’s ability to connect with people professionally and on a personal level is complemented by her intellect and great understanding of the machinations of government, particularly in the community space.

“I have never been more confident in the club’s direction under the leadership of Sonja, Ben and the board.”

New board members Harris and Piltz come to the club after respectively serving on the club’s Integrity and Finance and Audit committees.

Founder and managing partner of commercial legal firm, Harris Carlson Lawyers, Harris has served as honorary legal counsel to the club since 2006.

A lifelong, fourth generation North Melbourne supporter, he is a founding member of the club’s Integrity Committee and founding director of the club’s public ancillary fund, the Shinboners Foundation.

Piltz joins the board after many years of involvement with the club as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee since 2007 and the Integrity Committee since 2021. Piltz is also a current member of the Shinboner Foundation.

With more than 30 years experience with leading global professional services firm Ernst & Young, Piltz is currently the Managing Partner of the Ernst & Young Melbourne office and an Assurance Partner with extensive experience in external and internal audit, risk management and governance.