Michael Farrar CBE (Interim Chair)
An experienced NHS Manager and Senior Civil Servant, currently Chief Executive of West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority. Previously Chief Executive of Tees Health Authority and Head of Primary Care at the Department of Health.
During his time at the Department of Health, Mike was responsible for establishing Primary Care Groups, Primary Care Trusts and PMS. Mike chaired the NHS Confederation GP Contract Negotiating Team that successfully negotiated the new General Medical Service contract. Mike currently chairs the Strategic Health Authority Chief Executives' Group and is the National Programme Director of NHS Live. Prior to working in the NHS, Mike worked for Grand Metropolitan UK Ltd and pursued early aspirations to play professional football and cricket.
Ged Roddy MBE – South West Region
Director of Sport at Bath University and Chairman of the South West Regions Sports Board. Ged’s drive has made Bath one of the top Universities for sport in Britain and Europe.
A former teacher, Ged masterminded Bath’s successful delivery of the European Youth Olympics in 1995, and Team Bath which generated 20 medals in Sydney and Manchester. He is the architect of the establishment of Bath as a key site within the English Institute of Sport.
Jill Ainscough
Jill Ainscough is Chief Operating Officer of Ofcom, the converged regulator for the UK communications industry.
Prior to joining Ofcom, Jill was Managing Director of BSkyB's Easynet Group - a company she first joined as Director of Strategy in 2001. Her achievements in that role included successful new market entry into corporate data networks and securing and managing a 3 year sponsorship of the British Olympic Association.
Previous main roles include Head of Marketing Development at NTL; Financial Planning and Analysis Manager for Barclaycard (1995-97); Business Planner for the Cambridge Cable Group (1994-95) and Senior Financial Analyst for the Granada Group (1990-92).
Karren Brady
Karren Brady has been Managing Director of Birmingham City Football Club since 1993. In 1996 the club made an overall profit for the first time in modern history and in 1997 it was launched on the stock market valued at £25m.
Karren has introduced a community programme at Birmingham FC, including initiatives aimed at helping children and single parents. She is a board member for Mothercare and Channel 4 and is a non-executive Director of Kerrang! Radio. She has appeared on TV and written a number of books, the most recent encouraging women into business.
Sir Andrew Foster
Andrew joined the main board in July 2003, he has a highly respected commercial background and most recently was chair of the audit commission. Within Sport England he heads up the Audit, Risk and Corporate Governance committee.
Ashia Hansen is a world-class athlete whose achievements include World Indoor Champion triple jump (2003), Commonwealth Champion triple jump Manchester (2002), World Indoor Champion triple jump (1999), European Indoor Champion and World Record Holder triple jump (1998), and 4th triple jump Olympic Games, Atlanta (1996). Ashia is a UK Athletics and Norwich Union Ambassador, leading school PE lessons and attending promotional days to encourage sports participation
Philip Lemanski
Philip Lemanski is a retired chartered accountant and management consultant. He has 25 years of experience in senior managment, first as a partner in Robson Rhodes (1981-84) and then in Deloitte and Touche (1985-2006).
At Deloittes, Philip delivered a range of technology, business strategy and change management services to blue chip companies and public sector organisations, and was part of the team which developed and led the consulting practice. He brings experience in project management, technology and finance at a senior level to Sport England.
Dr Jack Rowell
Dr Jack Rowell OBE is Director of Rugby for Bath. He’s also Chairman of Celsis plc, Chairman of UK products Ltd which is quoted on AIM and Chairman of Turleigh Ltd, a private company.
Jack has acted as chairman of a number of companies in the public and private sectors, mainly in food. He was previously an executive director on the board of Dalgety plc with responsibility for the consumer foods division. Jack was previously Managing Director of Bristol Rugby (2000 – 2002) and manager and coach of the England Rugby National Team (1994 -1997). He was awarded OBE for the services to the game of Rugby Union.
R Michiel Stevenson OBE DL Hon MA
In 1992 Michformed the Lace Market Heritage Trust to enable and encourage the regeneration of the historic Lace Market area of Nottingham, which had fallen into severe decline, and was appointed its inaugural Chairman.In 1993 The Museum of Law Trust Company was formed to oversee the creation of the Galleries of Justice, working towards its recognition as the National Museum of Law. He was appointed Chairman. In July 1997 Mich was awarded Honorary Degree of Master of Arts (Nottingham Trent University) in recognition of his contribution to the regeneration of the Nottingham Lace Market.
In 1998 Mich was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for “Services to the Galleries of Justice, Nottingham”. In 2001 Mich was awarded "Enterprise Midlander of the Year" for East and West Midlands, by Carlton Television and has since been appointed Chairman of the Carlton Television Midlander of the Year and has also been appointed a Director of the Regional Advisory Council for Carlton Television.
Mich served as Chairman of Nottingham Development Enterprise for five and a half years before retiring in 2001. He was also the Chairman of Profile Nottingham from which he retired in July 2001.
In December 2004, Mich became Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.
In May 2005, Mich was awarded the Freedom of the City of Nottingham.
In 2007, Mich was appointed to the Board of Sport England.
His Directorships include:
Chairman of the National Ice Centre Nottingham
Chairman of Nottingham Waterside Limited
Chairman of East Midlands Regional Venture Capital Fund
Chairman of West Midlands Regional Venture Capital Fund
Deputy Chairman of Nottingham Regeneration Limited
Director of Nottingham Express Transit Limited (Tram)
There are also other Private Sector Directorships and interests.
James Stewart
James is the Chief Executive of Partnerships UK. He was appointed in May 2000. He is also a Director of the Northern Ireland Strategic Investment Board, a member of the Joint Venture Board of Partnerships for Schools and a Non-Executive Director on Sport England.
Previously James was Head of Newcourt Capital’s project finance team in London. Prior to joining Newcourt Capital, James was Managing Director of Project Finance and the Global Head of Infrastructure and Environment with Société Générale (SG) in London.
Martin Thomas
In January 2007 Martin Thomas founded his own marketing communications consultancy. Prior to this he was Head of Strategy at the Media Planning Group, a leading media planning and buying agency. In 2004 he co-founded Nylon, a specialising planning consultancy within the WPP group.
Before that he was Global Head of Total Communications, Mediaedge: cia (MEC), responsible for global communications and strategic planning advice for clients including Norwich Union, Lego, Visa International and Citibank. From 1999 to 2002 he was Board Director at The Media Edge and undertook various other communications-related roles at managerial level in advertising, public relations and sponsorship from 1986.
Andy Worthington
Andy Worthington is one of the two Regional Sports Board Chairs who sit on the Sport England Main Board. He chairs the North West Regional Sports Board. Andy is former chief executive of ILAM.