New chairs for UK Sport and Sport England appointed

The former chief executive of the Royal Yachting Association, Rod Carr CBE, and London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel have been appointed as chairs of UK Sport and Sport England respectively. The announcement was made by Sports Minister Hugh Robertson today (22md April 2013). The positions became available following UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell and Sport England chair Richard Lewis leaving at the end of their terms. Mr Carr and Mr Bitel take up their roles today (Monday 22 April) and are appointed for terms of four years, working an average of two days a week with remuneration of £40 k per annum.

Mr Carr and Mr Bitel will be tasked to help deliver a lasting sports legacy from London 2012 and use their commercial and sports administration experience to bolster both organisations and ensure maximum return and results for the public investment in sport.

Mr Carr’s main focus will be to keep up the momentum from Team GB and Paralympics GB’s performances in London last summer, ensuring that Britain’s elite athletes remain among the best in the world. UK Sport’s ambition is for Team GB and Paralympics GB to win more medals at Rio in 2016 than in London. The organisation is investing £500 million of Exchequer and Lottery funding in the run-up to Rio, to boost our elite sports performance and secure more major sports events for the UK.

Mr Carr is a hugely experienced sports administrator. He retired as the chief executive officer of the Royal Yachting Association in 2010 after holding the position for a decade. He has also served on the UK Sport’s board for ten years. Mr Carr was previously performance director for yachting, deputy chef de mission for Team GB at the Sydney Olympics, and has been involved in eight Olympic Games.

Mr Bitel will be tasked with helping Sport England deliver its community sports legacy plans and strengthen grassroots sport across the country. Sports participation is at an all-time high following London 2012, and Sport England aims to build on this even further, increasing the number of people playing sport and continuing to improve facilities. Sport England is investing more than £1 billion of Lottery and Exchequer funding over five years to boost grassroots sport and encourage people to develop a sporting habit for life.

Mr Bitel has been the chief executive officer of the London Marathon since 1995. During his time at the London Marathon, and with no public money, the race has grown to become a world class fixture in the international sports calendar attracting major commercial sponsors.

Mr Bitel and his team have also turned the London Marathon into a globally recognised event with one of the biggest mass participation sport events in the country, specifically targeting low participation groups. Mr Bitel is currently a member of the Sport England main board, a position he has held since 2010. As a lawyer, Mr Bitel represented many of the leading sports events and organisations including the Wimbledon Championships, Ryder Cup, PGA European Tour and the RFU. He is also currently a board member of the London Legacy Development Corporation.