Welcome Renee, leading with heart at WaterMarc Banyule

Six months in, Venue Manager Renee Asciak has already made her mark at WaterMarc Banyule, guiding the team through a major health club refurbishment and keeping the community feeling welcomed, supported and excited every step of the way.

Joining Belgravia Leisure in August 2025, Renee brings more than 10 years of experience across aquatics, recreation and health and fitness, alongside a strong passion for people, leadership and community impact.

Renee began a career in the leisure industry while studying a Bachelor of Management in Leisure, building hands on experience across health and fitness as well as aquatics and recreation. Over the past decade, this foundation has grown into a leadership style focused on coaching teams to deliver safe, enjoyable and inclusive experiences that encourage communities to live healthier and happier lives.

One of the most significant milestones in Renee’s early time in the role has been the completion of a full refurbishment and upgrade of the WaterMarc health club – with planning underway for more than a year and the majority of works delivered in December 2025.

“The upgraded space has been such a proud moment for our team. Seeing the community come in, enjoy the refreshed facilities and really connect with the new space has been incredibly rewarding.

“During the refurbishment, we introduced a pop-up gym so members and guests could keep training while the health club was closed. It was important to us that people could continue focusing on their health and wellbeing and still stay socially connected during that time.

“The response from both members and the team was overwhelmingly positive and really showed how adaptable our team is. It also helped build excitement right through to reopening,” said Renee.

Recently, Belgravia Leisure visited WaterMarc Banyule to film with Renee and the team as part of the Celebrating the women strengthening local communities feature. The piece highlights the women driving positive change across the organisation and in our communities, including the strong leadership presence at WaterMarc, where around 90% of the senior leadership team are women.

With women making up 62% of Belgravia Leisure’s workforce and holding more than half of senior leadership roles, Renee’s leadership is a strong example of how inclusive, people first leadership continues to strengthen teams, venues and the communities they serve.

“Over the next three to five years, I see this as a chance to keep growing as a leader within Belgravia Leisure, learn from different venues and be part of initiatives that have a wider impact across the business. I’m passionate about mentoring emerging leaders and supporting people as they step into management roles, while continuing to deliver strong outcomes for our partners and the communities we serve,” Renee concluded.

Renee’s story also highlights the diverse career pathways available across Belgravia Leisure. From swim teachers and frontline team members to venue management and leadership roles, shaping the future of wellness, leisure and tourism, the organisation offers opportunities to grow at every stage of a career.