Andrew Abdo

Andrew Abdo was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League (NRL) in September 2020.

Prior to that Andrew was the NRL’s Chief Commercial Officer for 4 years, primarily responsible for revenue growth.

During this period, Andrew led the growth of the game’s total revenues by 12% per annum (growing from $334m in 2015 to $528m in 2019).

Together with Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Mr Peter V’landys AM, Andrew played a pivotal role in keeping the NRL Telstra Premiership season safely on the field during the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the NRL become the first national sporting code to return to resume following the suspension of the season and in 2021, the entire competition was relocated to Queensland for the first time in the game’s history.

With a background in corporate finance, Andrew has led the commercial growth of the sport through innovations in sponsorship, events and digital experiences, including the creation of Magic Round and establishing an in-house creative agency for partners.

He believes sport is about entertainment, about bringing people and communities together, and in helping deliver social change.