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Sport England leadership team changes

The organisation will be restructured alongside the changes to the executive team.

13th February 2026

Our chief executive Simon Hayes has confirmed a new-look structure and leadership team as part of plans to maximise the organisation’s impact and effectiveness over the coming years. 

Two of our existing Executive Directors will be focused on delivering our upcoming new operational plan: 

  • Lisa Dodd-Mayne becomes Executive Director, Partnerships and Place, responsible for leading the relationships with all Sport England’s partners at both national and regional level, our place-based work, planning and active environments, facilities and capital development and the National Sports Centres. 
  • Phil Smith becomes Executive Director, Sporting System, responsible for standards and guidance, partner services, development and performance management and talent development. 

We are also recruiting for three newly created roles to complete the Executive team: 

  • Executive Director, Resources 
  • Executive Director, Investments 
  • Executive Director, Policy and Communications 

Our chief executive Simon Hayes said: "Our role is to strengthen the foundations of community sport and physical activity: influencing, supporting and investing in partners and programmes to get more people active.

"These moves will align our organisational structure more closely and more clearly to the core activities that deliver that purpose.

"Alongside this we are developing a new implementation plan for the next five years that will focus our resources and our efforts where we can have the greatest impact.

"We are also determined to make working with Sport England easier for our partners."

Recruitment details for the three Executive posts will be live shortly.  
 

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