Diana Taylor AM’s breadth of legal, business, sport and life experience spans over 25-years of complex problem-solving and community-building.
Diana is a proud product of Geelong. She was part of the early graduate years of the Deakin University Law School and has worked in multiple top-tier law firms and as in-house counsel for large Australian businesses. After later expanding her legal career into business, Diana became a Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Award winner and was Netball Australia’s inaugural general counsel.
A trailblazer in the Australian Rules Football industry, Diana was the first female president of a men’s metropolitan football league, the first woman appointed to the VFL Tribunal and after being appointed as a director of the Geelong Football Club in 2010, is now the Club’s Vice President – the first woman to hold this position in the Club’s almost 165 year history. Diana’s 25 years of service to Australian rules football, alongside her committed service to Geelong, was recognised by the Australian Government in 2024 with Diana being made a Member of the Order of Australia.
Diana continues to pursue her personal commitment to community-building through multiple board appointments across the not-for-profit, government and private sectors.
Diana is a keynote speaker and has now committed her experience and life lessons to print with her first book, ‘The Playbook – crossing the white line to succeed in life, business and the AFL’, written to support others with their journey and future success.
After completing her law degree and being admitted as a solicitor, Diana successfully worked as a workplace relations and corporate lawyer at top-tier law firms and in-house counsel for large Australian businesses before going into business for herself.
Establishing her business, now known as Diana Taylor Legal Consulting, over a decade ago, Diana was determined to support organisations, boards and their people to resolve complex workplace and governance issues, investigate, ensure ongoing compliance and build high performance environments. Diana’s diverse client base includes organisations from the education, health, religious, sport, not-for-profit, corporate, community, local government and government sectors where she delivers integrity based and lasting solutions for her clients.
Diana has a passion for sport as testament to her long history of involvement with many sports, leagues and clubs across Australia.
In 2019, Diana became the Vice President of the Geelong Football Club, the first woman to hold this role in the Club’s 165-year history. Diana has been a director of the Club since 2010 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Cat’s AFLW team.
In 2007, Diana became the first female president of a men’s metropolitan football league, the Western Regional Football League and with over 7,000 players, she was the first woman appointed to the VFL Tribunal and chaired the gound-breaking AFL Victoria/VicHealth Fair Game – Respect Matters program which drove the creation of more inclusive and safe club environments for women and girls.
Diana’s operational sporting experience was further extended in 2018 when she was appointed as Netball Australia’s inaugural General Counsel.
Diana now consults to a wide variety of national and state sporting organisations. This work includes organisation reviews, health checks, investigations, member protection matters and workplace relations advice.
Diana’s commitment to her community continues to drive and direct her activity. Diana is the current Chair of Anam Cara House Geelong and Geelong Authority. Diana is also a trustee of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust and Doutta Galla Aged Services Limited, and is a board member on the Deakin University Law Advisory Board and the Public Skills Australia Board.
Diana is a former Chair of GOTAFE, a director of the Victorian Government – WorkHealth Advisory Board, the Barwon Sports Academy and the Geelong Gallery.
