Representatives of Judo, Ski and Snowboard, and the London 2012 organising committee alumni make up the three new members joining the British Olympic Association (BOA) Board following their ratification at the organisation’s November Board meeting.
Vicky Gosling OBE and Andrew Scoular, the CEOs of GB Snowsport and British Judo respectively, join the Board as the BOA replace two outgoing sports representatives. Meanwhile, Juliet Slot, who worked on the London 2012 bid and is currently Chief Commercial Officer at Ascot Racecourse, joins as an Independent Non-Executive Director (INED).
The BOA bade farewell to winter sports’ representative Hew Chalmers – who remains on the International Curling Federation board – as his two-term Governance limit was reached, whilst Triathlon’s Ian Howard – who remains a director of the International Triathlon Union – also joined Hew in departing the Board.
Juliet takes up the INED role left vacant as a result of Andy Anson’s appointment as the BOA’s CEO, a post he started on 1 November 2019.
Commenting on the appointments Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair of the BOA, said: “Juliet came through an impressive list of candidates and will add a wealth of commercial marketing experience to the Board, which remains one of the strongest in terms of experience and expertise that I have had the opportunity to Chair.
“Our relationships with the Olympic sports’ National Governing Bodies are vitally important and with that we are welcoming of the opportunity to work more closely with Vicky and Andrew as they represent winter and summer sports respectively. Both have an excellent reputation amongst their peers and I know they will bring a positive vocal presence to the Board table.
“Finally, I must pay testament to both Hew Chalmers and Ian Howard, who have been sage advisors to the BOA and have always fully supported the Board and the organisation’s activities. It goes without saying they remain good friends to the BOA.”
Juliet Slot joins with a wide-ranging portfolio of commercial experience in the business of sport encompassing periods at adidas International, Fulham FC, London 2012/LOCOG and Ascot Racecourse. She also brings considerable commercial and marketing communications expertise to the table through agency employments at Octagon, Haymarket Media and Pitch.
Speaking ahead of her first Board meeting in 2020, Juliet said: “I have been passionate about the Olympics and our own Team GB ever since my childhood. Being part of the bid team that brought the Olympic and Paralympics to London was a career highlight. Witnessing first hand the impact and power of the Olympic brand and its values and the inspiration that our athletes can give to everyone in all parts of their lives I am keen to support the marketing and digital teams in their mission to deliver the ‘Believe in Extraordinary’ brand positioning. It will be an honour to serve alongside such a diverse and expert board to support the executive in the run up to Tokyo and subsequent renewals.”
Vicky joined GB Snowsport as Chief Executive Officer in April 2018. A former Group Captain in the Royal Air Force, Vicky’s military career in the RAF featured highly successful operational, strategic and leadership roles which saw her awarded an MBE in 2004, followed by an OBE in 2014 for services to the military. She played a crucial executive role in the organisation of the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014, going on to become CEO of the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, USA.
Commenting on her appointment, Vicky said: “It is an enormous privilege to be appointed onto the BOA Board as the winter sports representative and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to further develop winter sports here in the UK and internationally. In the run up to Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, we have some great opportunities for our athletes across a myriad of different sports and disciplines to showcase their talents. I hope that we can draw on my experience from the sports sector and beyond to ensure the BOA continues to have a strong but independent voice.”
Andrew has been Chief Executive of British Judo since 2013, having previously worked for the Rugby Football Union, Scottish Hockey and Glasgow City Council’s sports team. He is a former Scotland hockey international having over 120 caps to his name and is an international coach.
Andrew commented: “I feel extremely privileged and proud to have been elected to the BOA Board. I’m really looking forward to the next few years which will be exciting times for sport with both the Tokyo and the Beijing Olympic Games”