A note from CEO Nicki Nicol...
After a massive 16 years, Jake Wilkins has an exciting new job opportunity and will be leaving the NZOC in early November. Jake has been successful in attaining the role of General Manager of Sport at the University of Western Australia.
Looking back, Jake joined NZOC in June 2007, recruited in the role of Team Services Manager. The excitement of supporting a New Zealand team to the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 was a big draw card and fittingly Beijing was also the place of his last Olympic Games, with the New Zealand Team at the Winter Games in 2022.
Jake’s journey to Team Services Director began in the then Wellington office. He was appointed as Team Services Director in 2010 and then relocated to Auckland, in 2015, commuting for 2 years, such was his passion and commitment to the kaupapa of the NZOC.
Jake has been an integral leader at four Summer Olympic Games, three Winter Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and has overseen many Pre-Elite Games- an outstanding contribution over this tenure. Jake has bought a real passion to create the best environments, to support athletes achieve their very best, at these pinnacle events.
Jake’s real legacy is an unrelenting focus on “team,” and he has been an amazing ambassador in driving our culture of “manaaki” to the highest levels ever. Jake, inspired by the vision and support of others, has championed the creation of a high-performance culture, that brings all together athletes’ performance, experience and health and wellbeing. Māori culture, tradition and tikanga has been an integral part of this team culture and Jake’s commitment to inclusion has helped create a real sense of belonging and identity, that really contributes to athlete performance and helps promote who we are on the world stage.
Jake is also very well regarded internationally for his depth of experience, operational delivery, and solution focused approach, especially at Games time and this has seen him on numerous Working Groups and Commissions to ensure Games preparation is as optimal as possible for athletes, NOCs and CGAs.
Jake has been hugely supported by his wife Karyn and four children and we acknowledge them, with an understanding of the pressures working at Olympic and Commonwealth Games can put on family life.
Jake will be missed by many, both in our office and across the sport community, for his energy, humour and passion for the athletes of the New Zealand team. He should be so proud of all he has achieved, and we wish him, and his whanau, all the very best.
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