UK Athletics Board

RICHARD BOWKER

Chair

Qualifications:

BA (Hons) in Economics and Economic & Social History, University of Leicester

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

Career Summary:

Richard was appointed Chair-Elect in December 2016, and took the helm as Chair of UK Athletics in June 2017.

He has held leading roles in the transportation sector throughout his career including Chairman & Chief Executive of the Strategic Rail Authority, Group Chief Executive of National Express Group Plc and Chief Executive of Etihad Rail in the UAE. He has also worked at the Virgin Group of Companies.

He has more recently been involved in various sports administration bodies and in addition to his current role with the EFL (where he also Chairs the Audit and Commercial Committees), he was also until January 2017 a Director of London Marathon Events Limited. He is an enthusiastic runner who amongst other things has taken part in various Marathons and Half Marathons.

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.

KEVAN TAYLOR

Finance and Operations Director / Company Secretary

Qualifications: 

Fellow Member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Role at UK Athletics:

Kevan was appointed Finance Director and Company Secretary in February 2011. He is also the Finance Director for London 2017 and London Championships. Kevan’s role also includes management of the company’s Procurement team and he is the representative for UK Athletics on the Major Spectator Sports Division of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

Career Summary:

Kevan has been a director in four sports since his appointment as Finance Director of Sale Sharks in 2002. At the Premiership Rugby club, he was involved in the transformation of the commercial performance of the club as it established itself as a leading force in rugby union. He was subsequently appointed Finance Director at Stockport County FC, a role he fulfilled alongside his responsibilities for Sale Sharks as both clubs came under common ownership. Kevan was promoted to Chief Executive of Stockport County in 2004. In 2007 Kevan became involved in a third sport when he was recruited as the Finance Director of the Lawn Tennis Association where he was also a member of the Tennis Leadership Team

Before becoming professionally involved in sport, Kevan was a Finance Director at Granada plc (now known as ITV), for seven years with responsibility for the financial direction of the largest commercial television production and distribution business in the United Kingdom. During his time at Granada, Kevan was a member of the executive team responsible for the acquisition of three major television groups.

ANNE WAFULA-STRIKE

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications: 

B.Ed (Hons). Moi University, Kenya.

Other Commitments:

Ambassador to the British Polio Fellowship.
Patron – Centre for Sport, Spirituality and Religion, York University.
Sporting Ambassador – Right to Play.

Career Summary:

Anne was a college lecturer and Student Counsellor at Machakos Technical Training College before she came to the UK.

She is a former GB & NI Paralympic wheelchair racer, who previously competed for Kenya at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. In recent years Wafula-Strike has concentrated on charity work, fundraising and motivational speaking.

She was awarded an MBE in 2014 for her services to disability sport and charity, and last December the UK Kenyan Achievers Award for most inspirational figure of the year. She has also founded her own charity, The Olympia-Wafula Foundation, which supports disabled people around the world.

SARAH SMART

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications:

• MA in Classics from Oxford University

• Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

Role at UKA:

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee

Other Commitments:

• Director of SmartCats Consulting Ltd

• Chair of The Pensions Trust

• Non-Executive Director of Social Investment Scotland

Career Summary:

Having trained as a chartered accountant in Scotland, Sarah spent approximately 10 years in various roles within the investment management industry. Sarah now holds a portfolio of non-executive and advisory positions, specialising in ensuring excellent organisational governance and risk management.

SARAH ROWELL

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications:

• BSc (hons) in sports science from University of Brighton

• PhD from University of Brighton

• Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Role at UK Athletics:

Non-Executive Director

Other Commitments:

• Partner at Wharton Consulting

• Board member at London Marathon

• IAAF Road Running Commission member 

Career summary:

Represented GB/England on the road, cross country and mountains between 1983 -1996, including finishing 13th in the 1984 Olympic Marathon and 2nd in the 1985 London Marathon. 

After starting her career at the National Coaching Foundation, Sarah  was Technical Consultant to the English Institute of Sport during its early years.  She  is now a Partner at Wharton Consulting where she specialises in systems and people development, particularly in high performance sport, working with numerous national governing bodies and national sporting agencies.

DAVID BEDFORD

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications:

Diploma of Education (Teacher Training) from St Mary’s College

Role at UKA:

Non-Executive Director

Other Commitments:

President of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers

Director Hendon Football Club

Career Summary:

David is a former GB & NI international long-distance athlete; in 1972 he made the Olympic final in Munich over both 5,000m and 10,000m, placing 12^th and 6^th respectively. The following year he broke the world record over 10,000m by some seven and a half seconds.

Aside from competing, David has held a consistent link to athletics throughout his life; since 1989 he has worked with The London Marathon Limited, starting out with a primary focus on Marketing and Sponsorship. In 2000 he was appointed Race Director, a position he held for 12 years before taking the decision to become a part time consultant, a position in which he focusses on the assembly of the elite field.

In 2014 he was awarded an OBE for his services to athletics and charity fund-raising.

PETER TAYLOR

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications:

• BSc in Economics with Accountancy from Loughborough University 1985

  Qualified as a Chartered Accountant 1988

Role at UKA:

Non-Executive Director

Other Commitments:

Managing Partner of Duke Street, a leading private equity firm

Non-Executive Director of Wagamama and The Original Factory Shop

Active investor and mentor in social enterprise

Regular speaker in schools and colleges on business and careers

Career Summary:

Peter has been a Partner at Duke Street since 1996, with a particular focus on leading consumer brands owned by Duke Street – brands such as wagamama, Simple and Esporta.

Peter began his career as an accountant with Deloitte Haskins & Sells before moving into private equity with County NatWest Ventures, from where he joined Sea Life Centres as Finance Director.

GORDON ARTHUR

Non-Executive Director

Role at UKA:

Non-Executive Director

Other Commitments:

Non-Executive Director on the board for Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Member of Unicef UK Scottish Advisory Board

Roundtable Consultant to a number of organisations

Career Summary:

Gordon is an experienced business executive who has gained a wealth of experience due to undertaking a number of key roles of importance in his career.

In short, this includes working as a Director of Group Corporate Affairs at Standard Life for seven years, whilst more recently he held the role of Chief Communications Officer for Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games. Within the latter, Gordon - whilst working as one of six team Directors - was instrumental in developing the strategy, values and governance around what was a hugely successful Games.