Culture Secretary reappoints Board Members to Sport England

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appoints Debbie Jevans OBE as Vice-Chairman and reappoints Clare Connor OBE, Hanif Malik and Peter Rowley as Members of the Sport England board.

Debbie Jevans CBE

A former professional tennis player, Debbie Jevans is the Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015. Leading the Rugby World Cup 2015 Tournament Organising Committee, Debbie and her team will deliver the third largest global sporting event, hosted in England in 2015. Previously Director of Sport for LOCOG, Debbie managed 20,000 staff and a budget in excess of £160m; she was responsible for delivery of all aspects of the sporting events at the 2012 Games, medical and anti-doping programmes, as well maintaining the relationships and support from all the international federations. Debbie was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List for her services to the London 2012 Games.

As a former Junior Wimbledon champion Debbie continues as a member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) Committee of Management, the Championships Committee and the Wimbledon Foundation. Debbie also sits on the Board for the Invictus Games and Sport England, and from October 2014 will be a Director of the Football League Board.

Clare Connor OBE

Clare is a former England cricket captain; she was awarded the OBE after leading England to a first Ashes win in 42 years. Clare retired from playing for England in 2006 with over 100 international caps and having led the team for 6 years.

Clare is currently Head of England Women’s Cricket at the England & Wales Cricket Board driving a hugely successful period for the women’s game. This included a spell of 4 years from 2009-2013 where the England women’s team retained their number 1 world ranking and in 2013-2014, the team secured back-to-back Ashes wins. In 2014, the ECB announced professional contracts for England’s top 18 female players, a ground-breaking step for women’s cricket.

In April 2009 Clare she was appointed to the International Cricket Council’s Cricket Committee as its first female member. Clare is also Chair of the International Cricket Council’s Women’s Committee and is a member of the Sports Minister’s Women in Sport Advisory Board.

Hanif Malik

Hanif is the CEO of a leading community organisation based in Leeds and has over 17 years’ experience of working within the Third Sector. He has chaired a number of charitable organisations and has been a board member of several strategic initiatives within Leeds and for the past 4 years has been a national board member for Sport England, where he is also the lead board member for equality & diversity.

A keen advocate of sport and in particular the role sport can play in community regeneration and improving life chances, he has established a number of sporting initiatives to help enhance sports participation in inner city communities.

Hanif has recently been awarded an honorary doctorate by Leeds Metropolitan University for his contribution to public life.

Peter Rowley

Peter has developed strong associations with grass roots and community sport since retiring as Director and Chief Executive of Darlington Building Society in 2009 following a long and distinguished service in banks and building societies at senior levels. He holds a portfolio of non-executive appointments in charitable, not-for-profit, sporting and other organisations and advises others in social enterprise.

An enthusiastic sportsman, he is a passionate runner and coach, competing domestically and overseas at club level at all distances from 5k up to marathons.