Louise Rathbone joins Football Australia
Louise Rathbone has taken up a consultancy role with Football Australia as the general manager of marketing for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
She was previously regional head of marketing at Cathay Pacific for five-and-a-half years, and is currently senior industry advisor to the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (ACAM), a recently formed thinktank designed to steer the industry through the pending AI challenges.
In her role at Football Australia, Rathbone will “lead the tournament’s marketing strategy — spanning brand, fan engagement, and conversion-focused ticketing campaigns — as we prepare to deliver one of the world’s biggest women’s sporting events on Australian soil in March 2026,” she wrote on Linkedin.
Louise Rathbone
“It’s a privilege to contribute to a tournament of this scale and significance, one that not only showcases elite football, but celebrates women’s sport, honours culture, empowers the next generation, and connects communities through the power of the game.”
She joins Bastion ANZ’s former head of brand marketing Alexandra O’Neil, who took on the role of brand marketing manager for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in late April.
Football Australia won the hosting rights to the upcoming Women’s Asian Cup, after the outsized success of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The tournament started in March 2026, and will bring together teams from 12 nations — including Australia, China, Thailand, and South Korea — with games in Sydney, Gold Coast, and Perth. Australia last hosted the tournament in 2006.
Got a tip?
Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
Linkedin
Have your say