Catherine Ordway - sports lawyer and director

Catherine Ordway has been involved in sport professionally and socially for many years. Catherine was most recently employed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority where she held the positions of Group Director Enforcement (legal) and then Group Director Detection (testing, investigations and intelligence).

These roles drew on Catherine’s previous anti-doping and sports law experience. As one of the Australian Olympic Committee’s lawyers from 1997-2001, Catherine prosecuted more than 30 Australian athletes for anti-doping rule violations. This work also included drafting the anti-doping policies for the national sports federations and providing general commercial advice including intellectual property, sponsorship and supply agreements.

Catherine has held several board positions in sport, including Women’s Soccer Australia, Womensport & Recreation (NSW), Women’s Cricket (NSW), and the ACT Association for Women in Sport & Recreation. Catherine also co-founded the organisation, Women on Boards, with the aim of increasing the number of women on sports boards.

Catherine is currently a member of the International Baseball Federation’s Anti-Doping Tribunal, the Australian & New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) 2009 Conference Co-ordination Committee and is studying towards a Masters in Investigations Management.Catherine has previously won legal paper prizes from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and ANZSLA.

Prior to her return to Australia in 2006, Catherine worked in anti-doping in Europe and the Middle East for five years. Catherine initially worked with the Anti-Doping and Ethics Department of the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports. This Department became Anti-Doping Norway in 2003. Catherine drafted the WADA Model Rules for National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs), and then established the Secretariat for the Association of NADOs (ANADO).

As Head of Doping Control at the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee in Qatar, Catherine was responsible for the planning and operations of the doping control programme conducted on behalf of the Olympic Council of Asia in November-December 2006. Catherine also assisted in the establishment of the new anti-doping organisation under the Qatar National Olympic Committee; the Qatar National Anti-Doping Committee.

Catherine is interested in providing her legal and sporting expertise on boards focused on promoting health, welfare and access to services for all sectors of the community.

Email: catherineordway@hotmail.com