Dr Johanna Adriaanse is an internationally acclaimed expert in sport, women and gender equality. She began her career as a teacher in Physical Education and Sport in schools in the Netherlands, Italy and Australia. In 1990 she became an academic in Sport Science/Management at the University of Technology Sydney, where she currently is a Professional Fellow in the Business School.

She has published her work in edited books and prestigious academic journals in the field including the Journal of Sport Management, the International Review for the Sociology of Sport and the Journal of Business Ethics. She has been a visiting scholar in the USA (Smith College, Massachusetts), the Netherlands (Utrecht University) and Norway (Norwegian University of Sport Sciences).

In addition, Johanna is a strong public advocate for women's rights in sport and has completed projects with, among other, UN Women in New York, UK Sport in London and the Catalan Government in Barcelona. She regularly provides expert commentary for the media and has delivered presentations/workshops at conferences in all continents of the world. 

Throughout her career she has held numerous board positions, both nationally and internationally. She has been, among other, President of Womensport New South Wales (2000-2004), Board member of WomenSport International (2005-2019) and Co-chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport (2006-2014). This demonstrates her strategic approach to working with others to affect social change.

In 2010 she convened the 5th World Conference on Women and Sport in Sydney and led its legacy: the Sydney Scoreboard, a tool to monitor and accelerate more women in sport leadership positions globally.

Johanna received a Trailblazer Award from the NSW Government for advancing women and sport in 2020 and the Margaret Pewtress Memorial Award from the Australian Government for her outstanding contribution to women’s sport in 2004. Representing the Netherlands in the Europe Cup for Hockey, she was a member of the team that won four gold medals in the 1970s.