Tim Hollingsworth appointed new Chief Executive at Sport England
Tim Hollingsworth has been appointed as Sport England’s new Chief Executive. Tim is currently Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, a role he has held since 2011. He replaces Jennie Price, who announced in May that she would be leaving Sport England after 11 years as CEO.
Tim brings a wealth of senior experience to Sport England. As Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association (BPA), he led the organisation through both the historic London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, with ParalympicsGB achieving an incredible 147 medals at the latter to finish second in the medal table.
More recently, ParalympicsGB achieved its best-ever performance at a Winter Games, winning seven medals including a gold at Pyeongchang 2018. Alongside this success at Games time, Tim has led the increase in profile and interest in the Paralympic movement, driven the commercial and business growth of the BPA as a charity and ensured it is at the forefront of challenging perceptions of disability in society.
Activity Alliance Chief Executive, Barry Horne said:
"Activity Alliance is delighted to hear of Tim’s appointment as Chief Executive at Sport England and we warmly welcome him to the role. The wealth of knowledge and experience he brings from his time at the British Paralympic Association will be invaluable as he sets out to deliver Sport England’s strategy: Towards an Active Nation.
"As one of Sport England’s recognised expert partners, we look forward to working closely with Tim and his team to get real traction in our shared ambition to increase the number of disabled people taking part in sport and active recreation. Together, working alongside key partners and stakeholders we are determined to ensure disabled people are active for life."
Prior to the BPA, Tim was at UK Sport for seven years, first as Director of Policy and Communications and then Chief Operating Officer, following over a decade working in senior roles in corporate communications. Tim is also currently a Board Director of the Youth Sport Trust and the National Paralympic Heritage Trust and a member of the International Paralympic Committee’s Paralympic Games Committee.
Commenting on the appointment, Nick Bitel, Chairman of Sport England said:
"We are thrilled that Tim will be joining us as our new Chief Executive. We were fortunate to have had a number of outstanding candidates for the role. Tim’s passion for sport, wealth of relevant experience and boundless enthusiasm for Sport England’s strategy really shone through and we look forward to welcoming him in the autumn.
"I would also like to warmly thank Jennie for her tireless service and dedication to Sport England over the past 11 years. She leaves an organisation full of confidence for the future and on course to deliver against its ambitious vision to create a healthier and happier nation through sport and physical activity."
Tim Hollingsworth said:
"I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as the next Chief Executive of Sport England. The organisation is one I know well and its vision and strategy have never been more important as we seek as a nation to maximise the ways in which people from all areas of society are attracted to, access and benefit from sport and physical activity.
"I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in the Paralympic movement for the past seven incredible years and am pleased the BPA will remain a key partner in my new role. It is one that I relish and I can’t wait to get started."
Tim Hollingsworth will join Sport England in November.
For more information about Sport England and their strategy: Towards an Active Nation, please visit Sport England website.
Photo credit: onEdition
