England Boxing Makes New Board Appointments

Philip Beard, former London 2012 director, has been appointed as one of three new non-executive directors by England Boxing.

Beard was involved in developing and launching the Air Miles programme in Britain and the United States and also served as director of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid. He was then appointed as the organising committee’s corporate director after the Games were awarded in 2005.

Most recently, he served as chief executive of Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club and will now serve as chair of the commercial sub-committee at England Boxing.

Tove Okunniwa and Akit Patel have also been appointed alongside Beard, with Okunniwa having 25 years experience in marketing and communications and has held roles including chief executive of Havas Sports and Entertainment and head of marketing at BBC Sport. She will oversee the marketing and communications sub-committee.

Patel, a banker, is a former UBS executive director, who is an advisor to Brentford Football Club and will head the finance sub-committee.

They will all join the body’s existing non-executive director, Margaret Byrne, also chief executive of Sunderland Football Club and chair of the legal, compliance and HR sub-committee.

“We have appointed three absolutely outstanding candidates who, together with our existing non-executive director, will enhance the capabilities, skills and connections of the Board in a number of key areas,” said England Boxing chairman Caspar Hobbs.

“All of our non-executives are industry leaders in their chosen fields and, along with the existing board members, I am confident they will make a significant contribution to the future progression of both the organisation and the sport of boxing in England.”

England Boxing is responsible for Whole Sport Plan for boxing, 2013 to 2017, and works with Sport England to grow and sustain participation and create opportunities and pathways for boxers to progress to the elite level. It has more than 18,000 members and oversees a network of over 900 clubs.