Craig Tiley has balls

Sometimes you meet someone and immediately understand why they're successful. Last night at Monash Business School's Dean's Leaders Forum, I had the pleasure of photographing Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, and let me tell you - this guy has balls. Tennis balls, yes, but also the metaphorical kind.

The moment Craig Tiley grabbed tennis balls and hurled them at my camera - creating the perfect portrait that captures his dynamic, rule-breaking approach to leadership. Sometimes the best shots happen when you stop trying to pose your subject

First Impressions and Flying Tennis Balls

I'll be honest, when I was planning the portrait shots, I wanted to incorporate tennis balls but worried it might be too clichéd. You know how it is - everyone probably asks the Tennis Australia CEO to pose with tennis balls, right?

Wrong.

When Craig walked in with that wide, friendly smile, introduced himself with a firm handshake, I decided to just ask: "Are you completely sick of holding tennis balls in photos?"

His response? He grabbed a handful of tennis balls and hurled them toward my camera. "Take a photo now!"

And there it was - the perfect shot captured in that spontaneous moment. No staged poses, no awkward "hold this and smile" direction. Just pure, authentic energy that perfectly captured his approach to leadership.

Making his points with characteristic gestures and energy, Craig demonstrated the passionate leadership style that's made the Australian Open a global success

A Leader Who Breaks the Rules

During his presentation, Craig spoke about his journey as CEO of Tennis Australia and how he's transformed the organisation over recent years. What struck me wasn't just what he said, but how he said it. This is someone who's genuinely happy to break the rules when they need breaking, and more importantly, he holds himself accountable for his mistakes.

You don't often hear that level of honesty from corporate leaders. Most would dance around failures or blame external factors. Not Craig. He owned his decisions - the good ones and the ones that didn't work out so well.

The fireside chat between Craig and Professor Alex Christou revealed the personal values and beliefs behind Craig's leadership philosophy

His Personal Side

The format shifted from presentation to fireside chat with Professor Alex Christou, and this is where Craig really shone. The questions became more personal, diving into his values and beliefs, and you could see the audience leaning in.

As someone who spends a lot of time photographing corporate events, I can tell you when an audience is genuinely engaged versus just being polite. This crowd was captivated. They didn't want him to leave!

Craig's warmth and authenticity had the RACV City Club audience completely captivated

Embracing Pickleball!

Craig talked about embracing pickleball! As someone who's recently fallen in love with this sport, I was thrilled to hear a tennis executive talk about welcoming rather than fighting this growing trend.

It's exactly the kind of forward-thinking approach that explains why Tennis Australia has flourished under his leadership. Instead of seeing pickleball as competition, he sees opportunity.

Hands up across the room during Q&A - Craig's willingness to tackle any question head-on

The Hard Questions

During the Q&A session, Craig faced some challenging questions from the audience. His approach was refreshing - he wasn't afraid to say "I don't know" when he genuinely didn't know something, and he welcomed every question with genuine interest.

Watching him work the room was like seeing a masterclass in authentic leadership. No corporate speak, no deflecting difficult topics, just honest, direct answers from someone who clearly loves what he does.

Craig shared insights into transforming Tennis Australia and the Australian Open into global successes

Magnetic Leadership

By the end of the evening, it was clear why Craig Tiley has been so successful in sports administration. He combines strategic thinking with genuine warmth, isn't afraid to take risks, and most importantly, treats everyone in the room like they matter.