SRI assists British Gymnastics with CEO search

June 23, 2021 – The British Gymnastics Board of Directors, with the help of senior executives from Sport England, UK Sport and London-based executive search firm SRI, have appointed Sarah Powell as their new CEO. “The caliber of applicants for this position was exceptional and we are delighted to appoint Sarah, who is a successful leader with 20 years of experience in the sports industry,” said Mike Darcey, President of British Gymnastics. Ms Powell, the current CEO of Sport Wales, will join the British Gymnastics management team on 4 October. Jane Allen, who served as British Gymnastics manager for over 10 years, retired in December. Alastair Marks was appointed interim CEO in January. He will remain on the British Gymnastics Board of Directors once Ms Powell arrives and will help her take responsibility for the strategy, direction and leadership of the organization.

“Bringing someone new to the organization from outside of gymnastics will add a new dimension to our leadership team,” said Mr. Darcey. “Sarah has worked with a number of board level organizations that have had to evolve and modernize, while championing equality, diversity and inclusiveness at all levels of sport. Sarah’s experience extends far beyond her well-documented skills as an administrator. As a former athlete and international coach, Sarah has been involved in sport in different ways and these experiences will, I have no doubt, help shape and define a new era for gymnastics in the UK.

Strong experience

Ms Powell is a former Welsh hockey captain and competed in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. She spent 10 years playing at the senior level before retiring from international competition to coach the Welsh Under-18 hockey team. Also a former high school teacher, Ms Powell joined Sport Wales and was High Performance Director between 2008 and 2010. She became Managing Director of Sport Wales in 2010 and then, in 2013, became Sport Wales’ first female CEO. .

Tim Hollingsworth, Managing Director of Sport England, described Ms Powell as a highly respected and experienced leader in both the grassroots and high performance areas of the sport. “Her communication and engagement skills, combined with high personal integrity and strong values, will be essential qualities in this role, especially as British Gymnastics seeks to bring about positive change and incorporate the Whyte’s recommendations. Review. “

Challenges ahead

Ms. Powell spoke of gymnastics as having a unique ability to introduce millions of young people to skills that can positively influence the rest of their lives, whether they stay in sport or not. “Now more than ever, with increasing levels of inactivity, we need to prioritize creating opportunities for people to have fun and experience all that sport has to offer,” she said. declared. “This is why I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to lead British Gymnastics.”

“There are some well-publicized challenges the sport is currently facing and I have no illusions about the scale of change needed to create a culture where gymnasts, parents, coaches, supporters and the many other stakeholders who really care about sport, know that their perspectives, experiences and ideas really matter to British Gymnastics, ”she said. “I am committed to listening and working with the wider gymnastics community to better understand how we can all work together to create an environment where gymnastics is a fun and enjoyable experience for all ages and abilities.”

SRI is a global executive search and consulting firm specializing in the sports, esports, media and entertainment, fashion and sporting goods industries. The firm’s services include executive search, search for emerging leaders, hiring strategy, board assessment, succession planning, salary benchmarking, management consulting market entry and multi-workstation projects.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, editor-in-chief; and Stephen Sawicki, Editor-in-Chief – Hunt Scanlon Media