Leading media and technology executive Gill Whitehead has been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the British Olympic Association (BOA), starting later this year after the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
As an RFU-qualified rugby coach and former England Students rugby league player, she brings a lifelong passion for sport along with a wealth of senior executive and leadership experience to a role that will also see her Chair the BOA’s Audit Committee.
Whitehead will join the Board of the BOA in September and will bring insight from a career that has spanned the broadcast and digital media sector, having previously worked for Google, Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and prior to her time in the media sector she held roles in the Economics teams at Deloitte and the Bank of England. She currently sits as a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Camelot UK, the operator of The National Lottery, and FTSE 100 company Informa PLC, where she is Chair of the Audit Committee.
Having worked at the BBC and Channel 4 as they delivered the Olympic and Paralympic Games to our screens, she was part of the executive team that brought the Paralympics to a wider UK audience in 2012, delivering record viewing figures.
She will replace David Ross as both an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, as he steps down from the Board after serving his second and final term. Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair of the BOA, said: “In an exceptionally strong field of applicants, Gill stood out for the combination of her audit skills and her digital expertise which will be crucial for Team GB over the next eight years.
“She also demonstrated a real passion for Olympic sport, and its importance to the nation. I am delighted to welcome her to the Board.
“I would also like to thank David Ross, for the massive contribution he has made to the BOA as one of its very first independent Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee. David has been unstinting in his commitment to the BOA and has supported the organisation through some difficult times, for which we are incredibly grateful.”
Whitehead added: “As a passionate believer in the contribution of sport to individuals and society, it is a great privilege for me to join the BOA. I look forward to supporting Team GB to Olympic success and working with Andy Anson and his executive team in championing the Olympic Values and brand in the UK.”