Jon Dutton
CEO, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Having led England's successful bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Jon was appointed Chief Executive of the tournament; leaving his position as Rugby Football League Director of Projects and People.
A sports management graduate with over 20 years’ experience in the sports industry. Jon has previously worked for the PGA European Golf Tour, Manchester FA (with a secondment to UEFA) and ran his own sports consultancy company. Jon was the Operations Director for Rugby League World Cup 2013, Director of Readiness for the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014 and Tournament Director for the Ladbrokes Four Nations tournament in 2016. In 2017 Jon was the International Federation Tournament Commissioner for the Rugby League World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Jon is also a member of the UK Sports Major Events Panel, a specialist advisory body. Its main purpose is to represent the interests of UK Sport by making major event investment recommendations to the UK Sport Board.
Yvonne Harrison
Managing Director
Project `92
Yvonne was appointed as Managing Director of Project 92 in March 2018, after leading Greater Manchester Charity, GreaterSport, as their Chief Executive for four years. Having spent over fifteen years within the sport and physical activity landscape, Yvonne has a wealth of experience across the sector incorporating strategic development, relationship management, finance, business planning and communications. Yv ...
Yvonne was appointed as Managing Director of Project 92 in March 2018, after leading Greater Manchester Charity, GreaterSport, as their Chief Executive for four years. Having spent over fifteen years within the sport and physical activity landscape, Yvonne has a wealth of experience across the sector incorporating strategic development, relationship management, finance, business planning and communications. Yvonne has been a key driver to galvanize the Greater Manchester network to produce Greater Manchester Moving, the blueprint for physical activity and sport across the City Region, as Greater Manchester trailblazes with radical reform of the health and social care system through devolution and begins to implement Sport England’s local delivery pilot. Yvonne led GreaterSport to multiple awards, before leaving to embark on a new challenge, working with the ‘Class of 92’ across their sport and education portfolio, which includes the brand new University venture UA92 in Trafford. Yvonne joined the Board of Why Sports Media Group in 2017 following a positive working relationship with the Founders and recognising the contribution she could make through her experience and network. Yvonne is enjoying helping the social enterprise realise its objectives and ensuring customers of Why Sports experience great content, networking and cutting edge thinking through the series of conferences and panel debates delivered.
Charles Johnston
Director of Property and Facilities
Sport England
A qualified engineer who also has a Master’s in Business Administration, Charles started at Sport England in 2008 as Property Director where he is responsible for the Capital Investment Programme for public sports facilities, a multi-disciplinary practice.
Charles came to Sport England from MDA Consulting where he was Chairman and CEO.
He began his career at Jaguar before joining Sainsbury’s w ...
A qualified engineer who also has a Master’s in Business Administration, Charles started at Sport England in 2008 as Property Director where he is responsible for the Capital Investment Programme for public sports facilities, a multi-disciplinary practice.
Charles came to Sport England from MDA Consulting where he was Chairman and CEO.
He began his career at Jaguar before joining Sainsbury’s where he spent 25 years progressing to become Director of Construction and Facilities, managing an annual budget of over £500 million.
Charles is a trustee on the London Marathon Trust, Royal Albert Docks Trust, Foal Farm and the Manchester Velodrome Trust.
Steven Ward
Chief Executive Officer
ukactive
Clare Devine
Executive Director, Strategy, Design & Innovation
Design Council
Design Council’s purpose is to make life better by design. We are an independent charity and the government’s advisor on design. Our vision is a world where the role and value of design are recognised as a fundamental creator of value, enabling happier, healthier and safer lives for all. Through the power of design, we make better places, better products, better processes and better performance.
Design Council’s purpose is to make life better by design. We are an independent charity and the government’s advisor on design. Our vision is a world where the role and value of design are recognised as a fundamental creator of value, enabling happier, healthier and safer lives for all. Through the power of design, we make better places, better products, better processes and better performance.
Martin Reeves
Chief Executive
Coventry City Council
Martin has been Chief Executive of Coventry City Council since April 2009. He was the Chief Executive and the Head of Paid Service of the West Midlands Combined Authority March 2016 to September 2017. He had previously been with Bedfordshire County Council for three and a half years as Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Executive.
Martin was previously Head of Perfor ...
Martin has been Chief Executive of Coventry City Council since April 2009. He was the Chief Executive and the Head of Paid Service of the West Midlands Combined Authority March 2016 to September 2017. He had previously been with Bedfordshire County Council for three and a half years as Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Executive.
Martin was previously Head of Performance Improvement at Westminster City Council in the heart of London. He was also Programme Director for Work Smart the City Council’s flagship transformation programme.
Martin spent much of his early career as a lecturer and researcher and has a PhD in applied economics.
He is a Governor on the Board at Coventry University; is the first Honorary President of LARIA (Local Authorities Research and Intelligence Association)and on the board of the Centre for Cities. He was the President of SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) in 2013.
He is the Local Government Association (LGA) National Procurement Champion.
In 2015, Martin was invited onto the independent taskforce, which produced the new 5-year national cancer strategy.
He chairs the national cross-system board for sustainable health & social care. He is also a member of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Advisory Board.
In 2018 Martin was once again included in the top 50 of the Local Government Chronicle’s list of most influential people in local government.
Rupert Furness
Deputy Director Active and Accessible Travel Division
Department for Transport
Rupert Furness is the head of the Active and Accessible Travel team in the UK Department for Transport, where he is responsible for advising Ministers on policies to promote walking and cycling, as well as on how best to ensure that transport is genuinely accessible to all users. His previous posts in the Department for Transport have included heading the London Transport team, heading the Environment Strategy team, ...
Rupert Furness is the head of the Active and Accessible Travel team in the UK Department for Transport, where he is responsible for advising Ministers on policies to promote walking and cycling, as well as on how best to ensure that transport is genuinely accessible to all users. His previous posts in the Department for Transport have included heading the London Transport team, heading the Environment Strategy team, and managing the implementation of the UK's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Before joining the DfT in 2003, he worked for a number of other Government Departments including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Cabinet Office.
Andy Mytom
Partner
David Morley Architects Ltd
Andy has over 20 year’s experience designing for Sport & Higher Education projects. His ethos is to find ways to enhance lives through design, frequently working alongside Sport England and UK Sport to achieve this in innovative ways.
Each project is characterised by the freshness of thinking to develop and respond to the brief with designs enabling and encourage participation from play to elite perform ...
Andy has over 20 year’s experience designing for Sport & Higher Education projects. His ethos is to find ways to enhance lives through design, frequently working alongside Sport England and UK Sport to achieve this in innovative ways.
Each project is characterised by the freshness of thinking to develop and respond to the brief with designs enabling and encourage participation from play to elite performance while complementing their (often) sensitive historic and natural settings.
Recent projects include:
A new student village and elite athlete centre for Loughborough University exploring the concept of ‘Endorphin Enhanced Degrees’ in the design of the landscape and buildings to improve the health and wellbeing
A campus-wide vision for sport and activity for the University of Warwick to help them towards their goal of becoming the most active campus in the UK by 2020
Master plan for Health and Wellbeing for The Royal Parks
Other clients include Local Authorities, other Universities (Bath, Brunel and Nottingham), the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority and the Lee Valley Park Authority.
David McHendry
Managing Director
Knight Kavanagh & Page
David is an expert in leisure facility development, planning, management and operation. This is built upon extensive major facility management background, commercial acuity and strategic understanding. He is a leading sector ‘go to’ person for clients seeking to improve service efficiency/effectiveness, reduce costs and raise net income.
The KKP lead on feasibility studies, business improvement, procurement ...
David is an expert in leisure facility development, planning, management and operation. This is built upon extensive major facility management background, commercial acuity and strategic understanding. He is a leading sector ‘go to’ person for clients seeking to improve service efficiency/effectiveness, reduce costs and raise net income.
The KKP lead on feasibility studies, business improvement, procurement and options appraisal assignments, David has assessed the right course of action for 20+ whole service appraisals providing well informed business cases to justify subsequent investment and change.
His client base includes Glasgow Life, plus Tameside, Salford, Northampton and MytimeActive (Bromley) leisure trusts. He has led KKP’s indoor and built facilities planning, service evaluation, business planning, and governance structure review for 40+ local authorities including Liverpool City Council, Glasgow, Gateshead, Blackpool and the States of Jersey.
His feasibility study portfolio includes Middlesbrough Sports Village, Redcar and Cleveland Leisure Community Heart, the new University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness Centre, Horwich Leisure Centre, Bolton and the Trinity Sport & Leisure Centre in Bridgwater
Ian Dagley
Managing Director
Hoval Limited
Ian has over 30 years experiencein the heating and ventilation industry, moving to Hovalin 2004 after working for Siemens for 15 years.
During his time at Hoval he has been heavily involved with the development of Biomass boilers in the UK and as Hovalare traditional manufacturers and not importers, they are often considered by various Government departments as the boiler industry experts of commerc ...
Ian has over 30 years experiencein the heating and ventilation industry, moving to Hovalin 2004 after working for Siemens for 15 years.
During his time at Hoval he has been heavily involved with the development of Biomass boilers in the UK and as Hovalare traditional manufacturers and not importers, they are often considered by various Government departments as the boiler industry experts of commercial and industrial boilers.
Ian holds the Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen for boiler makers and engineers.
Jon Dutton
CEO
Rugby League World Cup 2021
Having led England's successful bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Jon was appointed Chief Executive of the tournament; leaving his position as Rugby Football League Director of Projects and People.
A sports management graduate with over 20 years’ experience in the sports industry. Jon has previously worked for the PGA European Golf Tour, Manchester FA (with a secondment to UEFA) and ran his own spo ...
Having led England's successful bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Jon was appointed Chief Executive of the tournament; leaving his position as Rugby Football League Director of Projects and People.
A sports management graduate with over 20 years’ experience in the sports industry. Jon has previously worked for the PGA European Golf Tour, Manchester FA (with a secondment to UEFA) and ran his own sports consultancy company. Jon was the Operations Director for Rugby League World Cup 2013, Director of Readiness for the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014 and Tournament Director for the Ladbrokes Four Nations tournament in 2016. In 2017 Jon was the International Federation Tournament Commissioner for the Rugby League World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Jon is also a member of the UK Sports Major Events Panel, a specialist advisory body. Its main purpose is to represent the interests of UK Sport by making major event investment recommendations to the UK Sport Board.
Jess Read
Principle Transport Engineer
Witteveen+Bos UK Ltd
Jess Read has over 18 years experience delivering walking and cycling projects in places like Bristol, London, Copenhagen, Oslo and Portland, Oregon. She recently led the “iWalk- innovations in inclusive walking” project based in Bristol City Council. The iWalkreport identifies 10 pragmatic innovations to better embed inclusive walking in day-to-day transport practice (https://issuu.com/wit ...
Jess Read has over 18 years experience delivering walking and cycling projects in places like Bristol, London, Copenhagen, Oslo and Portland, Oregon. She recently led the “iWalk- innovations in inclusive walking” project based in Bristol City Council. The iWalkreport identifies 10 pragmatic innovations to better embed inclusive walking in day-to-day transport practice (https://issuu.com/witteveenbos/docs/iwalk_wb). Her focus is on inclusive walking and cycling standards. Jess was the technical design lead for the award-winning Copenhagen Blue-Green Infrastructure Masterplan(2011-2014), which through an innovative co-financing approach has liberated an additional £500m investment in walking, cycling and green infrastructure in Copenhagen.
John Burns
Partner
Gateley Group
John heads up Gateley’s highly regarded sports sector team. His areas of expertise include intellectual property exploitation, franchising, brand licensing, commercial agreements, competition law as well as sports and media.
His uncluttered and commercially focused approach has won him praise from clients and contemporaries alike when dealing with high profile, high-value matters. John is particularly ...
John heads up Gateley’s highly regarded sports sector team. His areas of expertise include intellectual property exploitation, franchising, brand licensing, commercial agreements, competition law as well as sports and media.
His uncluttered and commercially focused approach has won him praise from clients and contemporaries alike when dealing with high profile, high-value matters. John is particularly regarded for his work in respect of stadium sponsorship (especially naming rights deals) and stadium operation.
Tom Jones
Senior Principal
Populous
Tom is a Senior Principal in the London office of Populous, and Project Architect for Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
He has a keen interest in how sports and cultural buildings can enhance cities and has played a leading role in the design and delivery of a number of high-profile projects, including the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal FC and the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In addition to ...
Tom is a Senior Principal in the London office of Populous, and Project Architect for Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
He has a keen interest in how sports and cultural buildings can enhance cities and has played a leading role in the design and delivery of a number of high-profile projects, including the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal FC and the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In addition to his responsibilities for business development, Tom is a member of the UK Government Sports Economy Sector Advisory Group and sits on the Executive Board of the International Association of Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS).
Guy Boulby
Head of Cycling & Walking, Active and Accessible Travel Division
Department for Transport
Guy is currently responsible for cycling and walking in the Department of Transport, including delivery of the £1.2bn of commitments set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS), published in April 2017.
He is a qualified aeronautical engineer and project manager and has worked in transport, defence and energy programmes for twenty years, including as programme manager for the Nuclear Warh ...
Guy is currently responsible for cycling and walking in the Department of Transport, including delivery of the £1.2bn of commitments set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS), published in April 2017.
He is a qualified aeronautical engineer and project manager and has worked in transport, defence and energy programmes for twenty years, including as programme manager for the Nuclear Warhead Capability Sustainment Programme and as the project manager for the UK’s first plan for meeting binding carbon targets: the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.
He recently moved from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, where he was project team leader for delivery of the pilot phase of the £320m Heat Networks Investment Project.
Dr Adam Brown
Head of Research
Substance
Adam is Head of Research at Substance and has been a leading figure nationally on the development of community ownership, rights and finance in sport.
Adam has conducted research for Sport England (including Community Rights toolkit and Inspired Facilities community asset case studies), NGBs, Supporters Direct, DCLG and individual organisations on the issue.
He has led th ...
Adam is Head of Research at Substance and has been a leading figure nationally on the development of community ownership, rights and finance in sport.
Adam has conducted research for Sport England (including Community Rights toolkit and Inspired Facilities community asset case studies), NGBs, Supporters Direct, DCLG and individual organisations on the issue.
He has led the development of impact frameworks for community ownership in sport and leads most of Substance’s major research projects. This includes an extensive track record of major projects for the RNLI; developing Substance’s specialism on angling (including ongoing work for the government to inform marine policies and a National Angling Strategy for the Environment Agency); and Substance’s work on community ownership of sports clubs and sports governance in Europe (for SD Europe).
Adam was a board member at FC United of Manchester from 2005-2016 developing their Broadhurst Park community stadium.
Mr Trevor Smith
Managing Director/Owner
Sportsmith Ltd
Mr Peter Owens
Founder & Chief Designer
Colour
Peter founded Colour in 2000 as a design studio intended to reshape the role of landscape architecture in the 21st Century. A chartered landscape architect, master planner and urban designer grounded by an environmental sciences first degree, with over 28 years' experience of high profile schemes within multi-disciplinary teams across Britain and the world. Peter drives the creative, social, environmental ...
Peter founded Colour in 2000 as a design studio intended to reshape the role of landscape architecture in the 21st Century. A chartered landscape architect, master planner and urban designer grounded by an environmental sciences first degree, with over 28 years' experience of high profile schemes within multi-disciplinary teams across Britain and the world. Peter drives the creative, social, environmental and commercial design agenda of the practice.
Creating good places that can profoundly enhance people's lives, economics and the environment is the heart of this approach. The challenge is to express the joy, spirit and wonder of every unique location. To do this requires a clear rationale and effective design process to generate the vision, robust concepts and expert delivery.
Personal career highlights to date include his first native urban forest back in 1990, the Newcastle Lord Mayor's Design Award for 55 Degrees North with Colour's first public realm scheme, contributing to the London 2012 Olympics, and writing the landscape and public realm strategy for a global tournament in Qatar 2022.
Colour was presented with the Landscape Institute Award for ‘best large scale development’ in November 2016 for the £400m 100+ phased Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Always interested in building new collaborations and working together with like-minded people and organisations.
Dr Stefan Kannewischer
President
IAKS International
Dr Stefan Kannewischer was a management consultant at Bain and Company for 4 years before joining the family business Kannewischer Holding in Zug (CH) in 2001, where he is the senior manager responsible for consultancy and operational management.
Kannewischer Management AG operates five thermal baths and wellness pools of its own in Germany. Kannewischer has been President of IAKS International since 2015.
Dr Stefan Kannewischer was a management consultant at Bain and Company for 4 years before joining the family business Kannewischer Holding in Zug (CH) in 2001, where he is the senior manager responsible for consultancy and operational management.
Kannewischer Management AG operates five thermal baths and wellness pools of its own in Germany. Kannewischer has been President of IAKS International since 2015.
Lennart Nout
Urban Mobility Speclalist
Mobycon
Lennart is an urban mobility specialist with Mobycon in The Netherlands. He is an urban problem solver with experience from a wide range of countries including The Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Australia and Albania. Because of his wide ranging experience he is an expert in translating global best practice into local solutions.
Lennart is an urban mobility specialist with Mobycon in The Netherlands. He is an urban problem solver with experience from a wide range of countries including The Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Australia and Albania. Because of his wide ranging experience he is an expert in translating global best practice into local solutions.
Huw Edwards
Acting CEO
ukactive
Huw was made Acting CEO of ukactive in May 2019. He was previously Public Affairs director at ukactive with responsibility for leading the organisation’s engagement with Government and wider stakeholders.
In 2017, Huw was appointed as a Leisure Sector champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to DWP obje ...
Huw was made Acting CEO of ukactive in May 2019. He was previously Public Affairs director at ukactive with responsibility for leading the organisation’s engagement with Government and wider stakeholders.
In 2017, Huw was appointed as a Leisure Sector champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to DWP objectives.
Prior to joining ukactive, Huw worked as the Public Affairs lead at British Tennis working across both the Lawn Tennis Association and The Tennis Foundation. He has also worked for both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Olympic Delivery Authority during the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Huw is the Public Affairs Director at ukactive and is responsible for leading ukactive’s engagement with government and wider stakeholders. In 2017 Huw was appointed as a Leisure Sector Champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to DWP objectives.
Prior to joining ukactive, Huw worked as the Public Affairs lead at British Tennis, working across both the Lawn Tennis Association and The Tennis Foundation. This required ongoing engagement across the NGB network. He has also worked for both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Olympic Delivery Authority during the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
John Downs
Partner
Gateley PLC
Hayley Sullivan
Partner
Gateley PLC
Aubrey Calderwood
Director
Gateley Capitus
James Dewey
Head of Compulsory Purchase & Compensation
Gateley Hamer
Mark Iveson
Legal Director
Gateley PLC