The Secretary of State has appointed Derek Wilson as Chair of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority

Derek has been a specialist sports architect for 30 years, shaped from an early stage by his passion for sport. His career in stadium design and Olympics and Paralympics forged his special interests in safety, accessibility and major events.

Derek’s knowledge spans private and public sector roles, having owned and run successful architectural practices, and worked on the board of the FLA/SGSA. He has extensive experience of stadium design spanning 3 decades, including winning several major design awards.

Beyond this he has worked internationally including Australia, Malaysia, Japan, the Middle East, Europe and the USA. He has also worked on 5 Olympic and Paralympic games since Sydney 2000, including helping bring the 2012 Olympics to London, going on to be the Head of Design and Overlay for London 2012. Additionally, he brings operations experience from being part of the team that delivered 9 NFL Super Bowls.

As well as his previous tenure on the SGSA board, Derek has contributed to numerous standards and safety guidance and currently also works for the Premier League as an accessible stadia consultant.

This role is remunerated at £36,260 per annum. This appointment has 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 holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Derek Wilson has not declared any activity.