Carphone Warehouse Co-Founder Answers Call of BOA Board

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is announcing today the appointment of David Ross, Co-Founder of The Carphone Warehouse, to the BOA Board as a Non-Executive Director.

A qualified Chartered Accountant with considerable high level experience in roles related to Audit and Compliance, Mr Ross will Chair and lead the BOA Audit Committee. The voluntary position will run for a two year term and Mr Ross will attend the next BOA Board meeting on Wednesday 13th July 2011.

The addition of Mr Ross follows the introduction of Denise Jagger and Andy Anson as Non-Executive Directors last month and brings the full membership of the BOA Board to 17.

In combination with an outstanding business career, David Ross has developed credentials working in voluntary roles for sporting bodies in the UK. He is a Board member of Commonwealth Games England and brings with him significant experience working in the Olympic Movement from previous positions as a Board Member of the London Organising Committee, the Olympic Lottery Distributor, Sport England, the Wembley National Stadium Limited and as Chairman of the 2012 Legacy Board of Advisors to the Mayor of London.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co, Mr Ross became Finance Director of The Carphone Warehouse PLC in 1991 and was closely aligned with the company’s ascent to Europe’s leading mobile communication retailer. His reputation in audit is reflected by his position as Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery where he is Chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee. He has previously held Non-Executive Directorships with a number of leading businesses including serving as Chairman of National Express Group PLC and Gondola PLC.

The additions to the BOA Board follow the conclusion of a governance review in 2010 which provided the impetus to recruit independent Non-Executive Directors to the Board to complement the skill sets of the elected members from the National Governing Bodies of Olympic sports.

The individuals were selected following a comprehensive recruitment process which produced over 90 high quality applicants.

BOA Chairman Colin Moynihan said: “I am very pleased that David will bring his exceptional business acumen and audit expertise to the BOA Board at this exciting and crucial time in the history of the organisation. David has accumulated an excellent range of experience within the 2012 Olympic Project and has a first-rate understanding of the sporting landscape in the UK. His strategic vision and audit capabilities will be a great addition to complement the existing skill sets of the Board. We look forward to welcoming David to the Board and to receiving his valuable input.”

David Ross said: “I feel hugely privileged to be joining the BOA Board at such a pivotal time for Olympic sport in this country. I share the nation's great sense of excitement about next year's Games and look forward to being able to assist the Board as preparations continue. I bring to the role my business experience but perhaps more relevant is the fact that I – as with all of my new colleagues on the Board – am, first and foremost, a great fan and supporter of British sport. The 2012 Olympics represent a huge opportunity and I am eager to help ensure that the country does all it can to take advantage of it.”