Four Trustees reappointed to the Sport England Board

Chris Grant

Chris’s background is in group dynamics and organisation development. In 2001, he co-founded the consultancy 14A, where his assignments have ranged from chairing the Board of the UK Chip & PIN Programme to designing and delivering interventions for the BBC; Renault UK; Companies House and many others. He has moderated and delivered keynotes at conferences ranging from the NHS Medical Directors’ Conference to the World Cities Forum and European Retail Real Estate Conference. From February 2014 to September 2018, Chris was CEO of Sported, the Olympic and Paralympic legacy charity, serving a UK-wide membership of 3000+ grassroots groups using sport and activity to deliver social outcomes and improve the lives of young people.

Since 2016, Chris has chaired the judging of the BT Sport Industry Awards. He is an Independent Member of the Sport England Board, and has also worked extensively within the High Performance sports system, not least as a lead facilitator on UK Sport’s Elite Coach Programme. As a volunteer, he was Deputy Chair of International Inspiration, London 2012’s ground-breaking international development programme, and served as a member of the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport; Comic Relief’s UK Grants Committee and the Board of the Youth Sport Trust.

Andy Long

Andy is chief executive of Pentland Brands, a privately owned UK-based business with a portfolio of sports and lifestyle brands including Speedo, Berghaus and Canterbury. In this role his business perspective encompasses sport globally from occasional activity through to elite performance, and across all age groups. Initially trained as a management accountant, Andy’s whole career has been in consumer goods, living and working across different regions of England as well as briefly overseas. After 25 years playing and volunteering in grassroots rugby, he is now most active in the gym and as a parent volunteer, occasionally indulging his competitive instincts by trying to beat his own personal best at the local park run. Andy joined the Sport England Board on 9 September 2016.

Ian Cumming

Ian Cumming is Chief Executive of Health Education England, an Executive Arm’s Length Body of the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Education and Training arm of the NHS. He is also an Honorary Professor in the Medical School at Lancaster University. Ian holds an MSc in Sports Medicine, is a volunteer level 3 Swimming Coach, and chairs Swim England’s Swimming and Health Commission.

Karen Pickering

During a 20 year international swimming career Karen won 35 major championship medals and 38 National titles. She was 4 times World champion, broke 2 World Records and competed at 4 consecutive Olympic Games.

Since her retirement from competitive swimming in 2005 Karen has become a popular motivational and after dinner speaker and commentates for BBC 5 Live on swimming and diving. She became a mum to twin girls in 2014.

Having run her KP Swim Schools at 20 venues across England from 2005-2016 Karen has recently taken on the role as Swimming Development Officer and Swim School Manager at Ardingly College.

She is passionate about all sport and was Chair of the British Athletes Commission for 10 years as well previously sitting on the executive boards of the English Institute of Sport and the BOA-Athlete Commission.

These roles are remunerated at per £218 per day. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments . The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Government’s Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Chris Grant, Andy Long, Ian Cumming and Karen Pickering have made no such declarations.