Matt Tripp joined the Sunshine Coast Lightning Board and was appointed Chairman in May 2020. Matt is also the Chairman of Lightning’s owner, NRL club, Melbourne Storm.  

The Melbourne-based businessman has proven corporate experience as a CEO and at Board level across multiple sporting organisations. Tripp has strong business acumen, evidenced in the exponential growth and profitability of his varying business ventures. Known as an innovative thinker, his foresight to invest heavily in digital technologies over the past two decades yielded positive results, while he was also influential in securing high profile partnerships across professional sporting codes. 

Tripp joined the Storm Board of Directors in 2013 and was pivotal in leading the rugby league club through a period of sustained sporting excellence, while safeguarding its future commercial viability. He was named Chairman of both Storm and Lightning, taking over from the Club’s inaugural Chairman Bart Campbell, in May 2020. 

In December 2019 Tripp stood down as Chief Executive at BetEasy — a position he held for over six years, although he remains on the Board of Directors. During his time at the company, BetEasy became the Official Wagering Partner of the AFL for a seven-year period from 2015 to 2022. In 2015 he was also successful in securing a Premium Partnership with reputable website Racing.com for a 16-month period. Tripp is responsible for the globalisation of Sportsbet, acting as CEO during a rapid growth period for the company from 2005 until 2011. During this time, he played a prominent role in transitioning the business from predominantly telephone-based to an online operation — with the brand becoming Australia’s biggest online corporate bookmaker. His initial foray into bookmaking was prompted by his father, who established the ‘Number One Betting Shop’ in Vanuatu in the 1990s.