Steve Rosich has been tasked with revitalising the A-League after being appointed the Australian Professional Leagues' chief executive.
AAP understands the former boss of AFL club Fremantle will start in his role on Jan. 5, with staff informed of the appointment on Wednesday.
The Australian Professional Leagues has been led by executive chairman and former Labor senator Stephen Conroy after commissioner Nick Garcia's shock mid-season exit in February.
Garcia had in 2023 replaced then-chief executive Danny Townsend, who departed to take up a role in the Middle East.
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Rosich joins the Australian Professional Leagues after leaving the Victorian Racing Club last year following a four-year stint as chief executive.
He was previously chief executive of the Dockers, leading the club from 2008 and overseeing the shock poaching of coach Ross Lyon from St Kilda in 2011.
Rosich was sacked by Fremantle, on the same day as Lyon, in 2019. Rosich has spent this year as a managing director at medical technology start-up BrainEye.
His most pressing challenge will be strengthening the national men's and women's soccer leagues amid financial strife, with embattled club Western United hoping to return to competition. United, who had issues paying players for months, was wound up by the ATO in August after being stripped of its A-Leagues licence.
Facing liquidation, United's ownership West Melbourne Group was granted a new deadline to pay its $15.5 million tax bill after an interlocutory hearing in the Federal Court last week.
Having unbundled from Football Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, the A-Leagues had been working to stabilise financially under Garcia's watch.
A year ago, the Australian Professional Leagues had to make massive staff cuts in a restructure, which included closing down its digital arm.
Distributions to clubs from the broadcast deal were also heavily slashed ahead of this season.