UK Athletics Board

ED WARNER (Chairman)

Qualifications:

BA (hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Worcester College, Oxford.

Role at UK Athletics:

Acting as a Non-Executive Chairman, Ed leads the Board of UK Athletics and ensures that it is effective. He works closely with the Chief Executive and mentors and monitors his performance in delivering UK Athletics’ strategy, while playing a key role in the organisation’s vision and communication. Ed is passionate about athletics and as a club runner himself has a perspective of the sport from its grassroots.

Other Commitments:

Ed is both a city businessman and a leading commentator on financial matters. He is a respected media commentator on business and lectures on the investment banking industry at Cranfield School of Management.

Career Summary:

In 2006 Ed successfully sold the IFX Group plc, the financial trading and spread betting company, having been its Chief Executive for three years. Previously he was CEO of Old Mutual Financial Services UK, Head of Pan European Equities at BT Alex Brown and Head of Global Research at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson.

NIELS DE VOS (Chief Executive)

Qualifications:

BA (hons) in History from Keble College, Oxford.

Role at UK Athletics:

Niels has been Chief Executive of UK Athletics since 1 May 2007 and is responsible for the day to day running of the business, leading the sport through it’s next phase of development and driving the creation and implementation of a UK wide strategy that will take the sport of athletics to London 2012 and beyond.

Career Summary:

Niels was previously CEO of Guinness Premiership Rugby team Sale Sharks, whom he guided to the Premiership title in 2006. Prior to joining Sharks, Niels was Commercial and Marketing Director of the hugely successful Manchester Commonwealth Games. 90% of tickets were sold – beating the record set by the Sydney Olympics, and the event raised more in commercial sponsorship than any other international sporting event ever held in the UK. The Commonwealth Games was, in the eyes of many, the event that restored Britain’s international reputation for hosting major sporting events. Niels joined the Games in April 1999 having set another sponsorship record in his previous employment as Commercial General Manager at the Millennium Experience – securing £150m in 18 months. Whist at the Millennium Experience, Niels also conceived and created the Children’s Promise Appeal, raising over £20m for UK Children’s Charities.

CHARLES BARTHOLOMEW (Interim Director of Operations/Company Secretary)

Qualifications:

MA (hons) in Economics from Pembroke College, Cambridge.

FCA - Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Role at UK Athletics:

Responsible for the Finance, IT, Procurement, Athletics Services and Health and Safety teams, providing finance and support input and forward thinking to the Board and to the other teams in the organisation.

Career Summary:

Charles has worked successfully in finance throughout his career.  As Financial Strategy Director at the Royal Mail Group, Charles was responsible for special projects including the organisation’s first joint venture, making £20million profit. Also with Royal Mail he took the role of Financial Planning and Control Director responsible for financial control, accounts, treasury, risk management and capital project assessment for the whole business. Charles has also worked as a Chief Accountant for the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Industry. His role as a Financial Director has taken him to companies such as GKN, CCHA Housing and the Learning & Skills Council.

DAME TANNI GREY-THOMPSON (Non-Executive Director)

Qualifications:

BA in Politics from Loughborough University.

Combination of honorary degrees from 24 Academic Institutions.

Awards:

Dame Tanni’s numerous awards and accolades include:

1992 – MBE and Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year

2000 – OBE, BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Helen Rollason Award, Welsh Woman of the Year, BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

2001 – Elected to the Laureus World Sports Academy

2003 – Inducted into the BWSF Hall of Fame

2004 – BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

2005 – Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Role at UK Athletics:

Non-Executive Director.

Other Commitments:

Pro Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University.

Vice Chair of LOCOG Sports Advisory Group.

Board Member on North East Regional Sports Board and Vice President of Women’s Sports Foundation.

Allocates one day a week to community and voluntary initiatives.

Previous Board positions have included the Sports Council for Wales and UK Sport.

Career Summary:

Britain’s best-known Paralympic athlete, having performed at world-class level for the past 22 years, in distances ranging from 100m to the marathon. Thirteen Paralympic medals, six gold medals in the London Marathon and a comprehensive set of British and World Records. Was also a member of the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and has twice been Chair of the British Wheelchair Racing Association.

IAN FOX (Non-Executive Director)

Qualifications: 

LLB (hons) from Durham University and Fellow Member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Role at UK Athletics:

Non-Executive Director, Chairman of Audit Committee and Member of Remuneration Committee.

Other Commitments:

Non-Executive Director Bromford Group Ltd (a housing association with approximately 25,000 homes and a turnover of £80m).

Vice Chairman and Trustee of Wagon Retirement and Benefit Plan.

Career Summary:

Worked as Group Finance Director of Wagon plc, a quoted engineering group, for 12 years until retiring in 2000. Prior to 1988 worked for Thomas Cook Group Limited where he was Group Finance Director on leaving.

ROGER SIMONS (Non-Executive Director)

Qualifications:

Qualified as a Quantity Surveyor with George Wimpey. Fellow of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and Chartered Institute of Building.

Role at UK Athletics:

Non-Executive Director, Head of Track & Field Policy and Support Team. Vice President of the European Champion Junior Clubs organisation, Chair of the UK Athletics National Officials and Appointments/Upgrading Committee and Chair of the UKA Eligibility Committee. Also a member of the 2012 working group.

Previous roles in athletics:

Roger has been hugely involved with British and International athletics. He has been Chairman & President of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Promotions Officer & Chairman of the British Athletics League, Chairman of South West Athletics, Chair of the 2003 World Athletics Indoor Championships and 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships Technical Committee's, Founder & Chairman of British Association of Track and Field Leagues, and Chair of UKA Technical Committee.

Career Summary:

Partner/Director of own Construction Company, Harris Simons Construction Ltd. Project Director of Property Development Company Summerfield Developments. Retired December 2005.

JOHN TAYLOR (Non-Executive Director)

Qualifications:

BSc Eng. in Chemical Engineering and MSc in Computer Science, both gained at London University.

Role at UK Athletics

Non-Executive Director, Chair of Remuneration Committee, Member of Audit Committee.

Other Commitments:

Chairman of Associa Ltd, a company providing support services to membership organisations.

Chairman of Birmingham and Solihull Solutions Ltd, a public/private company developing primary health care facilities in the region. Non-Executive Director of two further local public/private companies developing health care facilities, Prima 200 Ltd in North Staffs and Dudley Infracare Ltd in Dudley. Non-Executive Director of South Birmingham PCT (NHS) Ltd.

Voluntary appointments: Chairman of East Birmingham/North Solihull Regeneration Zone Ltd, a subsidiary of Advantage West Midlands; Director and Trustee of Autism West Midlands Ltd, a charity supporting people on the autism spectrum and their families.

Career summary:

Worked for Cadbury Schweppes PLC where his roles included Managing Director of Trebor Bassett Group, Marketing Director of Cadbury Ltd, Managing Director of ITnet Ltd. He also worked in Corporate Strategy and M&A functions.