Josephine Sukkar
Josephine Louise Sukkar is an Australian business executive and in 2021 was appointed the first female Chair of Sport Australia. Personal. Her mother Mary Macdessi came to Australia from Lebanon when she was six, and moved to Wingham in New South Wales, where her family ran the general store. Her father was Buddy Macdessi, a doctor. Sukkar grew up in the Sutherland Shire and has two sisters. She is married to Tony Sukkar and their daughter is a doctor and their son now works in their business Buildcorp. She has Bachelor of Science (Hons) and Graduate Diploma of  Education (1987) from University of New South Wales. She taught science at Gymea High School from 1988 to 1989. Business. Sukkar with her husband Tony established Buildcorp in 1990. She is Chair of Buildcorp Foundation which is a charitable structure concerned with initiatives such mental health and suicide prevention. Sport. Sukkar has a long involvement in rugby union as volunteer, administrator and board member. President of Australian Women's Rugby since 2015 and Director of Sydney University Football Club Foundation since 2010. Her company Buildcorp has been a major sponsor of rugby in Australia for nearly 30 years particularly in  recent times women's rugby. She was Co-President of YMCA NSW from 2008 to 2015. She was appointed as the Chair of Sport Australia from February 2021. Boards. Sukkar's membership on private, public, government and not-for-profit boards includes Growthpoint Properties Australia, Parramatta Park Trust (2017-2020), Australian Rugby Foundation (2015-2019), Australian Museum Trust) (2019- ), Melbourne University Infrastructure Advisory Board (2017-2020), the Sydney University Football Club Foundation, Opera Australia (2011- ), Centenary Institute (2011-) and Green Building Council of Australia (2021-).