Anushka Methananda appointed Chief People Officer at Football Australia

Anushka Methananda has been appointed Chief People Officer at Football Australia, bringing extensive experience in people and culture leadership, employee experience, organisational change and talent management across Australia and international markets.

Publicis Groupe experience

Methananda joins Football Australia after more than eight years with Publicis Groupe, where she most recently served as Head of Performance & Experience, Publicis Groupe ANZ.

During her tenure, she also held several senior people and culture roles at Zenith, including General Manager, People & Culture, Head of People and Culture, and People & Culture Director. Her experience spans employee experience, organisational effectiveness, workplace culture and people strategy.

International HR leadership

Before Publicis Groupe, Methananda was HR Business Partner, EMEA & India at BuzzFeed, supporting people strategy, organisational design, employee relations and workforce change across multiple markets.

She previously held several HR roles at ITV and ITV Studios Australia, including HR Business Partner, Global Entertainment & International; HR Business Partner, ITV Studios Australia & Global Entertainment Asia Pacific; and HR Manager. Her responsibilities covered talent, reward, performance, acquisitions, integrations and organisational change.

Earlier career

Methananda began her professional career as a Teacher with Teach First at Stretford High School before moving into HR, later taking on the role of HR Advisor & HR Project Specialist at EMI Music.

Her career has since spanned media, entertainment and advertising, with a focus on strategic people leadership, organisational transformation, culture and workforce effectiveness.

New role

As Chief People Officer at Football Australia, Methananda will bring her experience across people strategy, culture and organisational effectiveness to the organisation's workforce and broader people agenda across Australian football.