His appointment follows a complex recruitment process, undertaken by a selection panel that included Board of Directors members Ben Houston, David Ferrier and Michelle Cooper, and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) director Matthew Favier.

Stewart was chosen from more than 100 applicants to assume the position vacated by Anne Gripper, who has spent five years at the helm.

He is due to commence the role later this month, working from Triathlon Australia's head office in Sydney.

"Triathlon is a sport that I am extremely passionate about with a rich and successful history in Australia," said Stewart, winner of the gold medal on home soil at the 1991 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships in Gold Coast. 

"I look forward to working closely with the Board to achieve the strategic goals of the association, and the team of staff at Triathlon Australia and the state and territory associations to ensure triathlon continues to grow and prosper into the future.

"We look forward to Rio [the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games] with enormous anticipation both for our triathletes and for the debut of Para-triathlon. 

"I would also like to congratulate the outgoing chief executive Anne Gripper for the work and dedication she has shown for our sport over her five years and I look forward to building on the great platform that she has built within the sport during her tenure."

After finishing runner-up in the 1993 ITU World Cup, Stewart went one better three years later, taking gold. 

Bronze medals followed at the 1998 ITU World Championships in Lausanne and 1999 edition in Montreal, before he won silver at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Stewart also had the honour of being the first Australian to cross the line in the men’s event at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, finishing in sixth place.  

In 2004, he retired from competitive racing at elite level and has since gone on to have a successful commercial career, most recently as the head of leasing for Charter Hall, a AUD$14.5 billion (£6.8 billion/$10.6 billion/€9.3 billion) property funds management business.

Stewart has been on the Triathlon Australia Board since April 2011, serving as chairman of the High Performance Committee and a member of the Elite Selection Committee.

"His strong commercial experience and knowledge and passion for triathlon made him the top candidate to deliver on strategic priorities of the sport including engagement, membership and commercial growth," read a Triathlon Australia statement.

In 2009, Stewart was an inaugural inductee into the Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame.


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