The Australian Football League (AFL) has announced the appointment of Sarah Wyse to the newly created position of head of the AFL Media network.

AFL Media was established in 2012 with a mandate to deliver world-class content for the league’s fan base, partners and new audiences across the entire AFL digital network.

In her new role, Wyse will oversee the core news, content, creative and production teams of the AFL’s news, digital and creative business.

Wyse will focus on optimising content for the elite game and growing the AFL’s engaged fan base, while engineering innovative and creative ways for new audiences to experience the game into the future.

The announcement comes after general manager Darren Birch led a detailed review of the AFL’s growth, digital and audience team, with the goal of working towards a more personalised, audience-driven, and expanded content network for the league.

Wyse joins the team after the recent appointment of former Nike executive and Western Bulldogs CEO Dave Stevenson in the role of head of audiences, products and innovation.

With 16 years’ experience specialising in the digital media and advertising technology sector. Wyse started her career in London at multi-media lifestyle publisher EMAP.

She has been living in Australia since 2008 taking on leadership roles at ninemsn, TVN Asia, Videology and, most recently, Fairfax-owned digital publisher Allure Media.

Wyse’s passion for driving diversity in the workplace coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit saw the launch of Australia’s first dedicated online resource, Wyse Women, to increasing the participation of women in the industry through a range of products and services centred around flexible and modern work practices.

Commenting on her appointment, Wyse said: “It was through Wyse Women that I met the team at AFL.

“Diversity and flexibility are two of the core business values at [the] AFL, and the opportunity to run their unique media business living such values every day was simply too good an opportunity to turn down.”

Wyse will commence her new role at the AFL on 5 November.