For yet another year The Australian Financial Review has ranked Greek-Australian businessman Andrew Demetriou among the most powerful people in the country.
The businessman, sports administrator, and former Australian rules football player who is the current CEO of the Australian Football League (AFL), Economou is the son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants to Australia. He played 103 games for the North Melbourne Football Club between 1981 and 1987, finishing his playing career with a three-game stint for Hawthorn in 1988.
After heading several companies after his retirement from playing, he was appointed CEO of the AFL Players Association in 1998, and was responsible for negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players. Demetriou was made CEO of the AFL in 2003, replacing Wayne Jackson.
In his role as head of the AFL Commission, he has been responsible for a number of changes, including the expansion of the league from 16 to 18 teams, the restructuring of the tribunal system, and the brokering of two new television rights deals.
His annual salary is estimated at about $2.2 million, while his political and social influence has also grown over time. He has launched various campaigns against racism, drugs and domestic violence.
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