WA building developer Robert Shaw will be announced as the first male Netball Australia president today, but he insists he won't use the role to advance the cause of any one State.
Shaw was on the Netball WA board for seven years and president for four, before standing down early in 2014.
Netball WA asked Shaw if it could nominate him as the new national president in   April, and he found out he had been successful last Friday.
Shaw needed more than four of the eight voting States and territories to endorse him for a three-year term.
"I spent two-and-a-bit years out of the role and moved on a little bit," Shaw said. 
"It's probably good timing. I still had the passion and desire.
"I thought about it and then said I'd be happy for the State to nominate me, which they did.
"It's challenging and humbling and exciting all at the one time."
Shaw is a director of Daly and Shaw Builders, and also a director of Master Builders Australia, among a number of roles in the business community.
He admitted it was rare to go straight in as president, without serving on the board first.
"I believe it is unusual and certainly unusual to be a male," Shaw said.
"I look forward to the opportunity to make a difference in the sport across Australia, certainly with my business background from private enterprise.
"There is great opportunity now to get some traction and growth to challenge some of the male sports."
Shaw takes on the job at an interesting time, with the new national league for 2017 announced recently, with three new Australian franchises.
Shaw first got involved in netball through his daughters, who both played State league.
He said he was proud of the achievements of WA Netball in recent years, but wouldn't be pushing its barrow.
"When you take on a national role in a federated model, my objective will be to advance netball across Australia, not to advantage any single State or territory," Shaw said.