Liz Masen

Liz Masen, the PhD Candidate and Lead Researcher for this study into ‘What do coaches really want in their playmakers?’ is in the final stage of completing her PhD, which she has been completing part-time within the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of the Sunshine Coast since 2018. It has been a long 7 years!

In her ‘day job’, Liz serves as the CEO of Athlete Assessments, a global sports consultancy she has led since 2007. While her background may appear unconventional for the sports industry, Liz’s determination and work ethic are evident in her academic achievements. She earned an Honors Degree in Accounting and Finance while juggling a full-time job and received the esteemed University Medal for achieving the highest academic results at the Queensland University of Technology.

Her professional journey began in investment banking, where she worked as a mergers and acquisitions specialist in the Mining and Resources sector across Australia, Asia, and South Africa. Liz later became the youngest General Manager of Finance at BOC Gases, a global gas and engineering firm. It was in these predominantly male-dominated fields that her passion for leadership development in women was ignited. This passion led her to co-found Xplore, a leadership development organization for women that became the foremost provider of its kind in Australia. After exiting her ownership stake in Xplore in 2006, she partnered with Bo Hanson to establish Athlete Assessments.

Liz has maintained her commitment to the advancement of women in sports, serving as a faculty member at WeCOACH and participating in the NCAA Women Coaches Academies in the U.S. since 2010. She has also contributed to the Japanese Women Coaches Academy since its inception over a decade ago. These roles allow her to merge her two passions: sports and women’s leadership development.