• Nici Audhlam-Gardiner joins Board as Independent NED

Athletic Ventures, the partnership between UK Athletics, Great Run Company and London Marathon Events, today (Wednesday 29 January) announced that Sanjay Bhandari MBE has been appointed Chair of the Board.

Bhandari is well-known for his work as Chair of Kick It Out, English football’s leading charity tackling discrimination and promoting inclusion. He also serves as Independent Non-Executive Director (INED) on the Board of the Lawn Tennis Association and Chair of Satellite Applications Catapult, an incubator at the heart of innovation in UK space technology.

His extensive board portfolio includes roles as INED for the Serious Fraud Office and as a Trustee of GM Moving, Manchester and arts education charity The World Reimagined.

An innovative thinker who has built hugely successful businesses, Bhandari has worked in many fields including sport, financial services, technology, government and public service. He trained as a lawyer and was a partner at Ernst & Young.

Paul Foster, CEO of Great Run Company who chaired the appointment panel, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sanjay as Chair of Athletic Ventures. This is a groundbreaking joint venture piloting a new model for the delivery of major events in the UK and Sanjay’s knowledge, experience, approach and networks made him the outstanding candidate for this key role for the future of UK Athletics.”

Bhandari added: “I am excited by the opportunities for the joint venture to transform UK Athletics and eager to use my broad experience to support Athletic Ventures on this new journey. I am passionate about sport and its capacity to create enduring personal and commercial connections around memorable shared moments.”

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner has been appointed as the Independent NED. She is the CEO of Foresters Financial and her Board portfolio includes NED roles at Accent Group social housing and Catalyst Housing. She is a national level masters athlete and triathlete and has represented GB and England internationally.

The full Athletic Ventures Board comprises:

• Sanjay Bhandari (Chair)
• Nici Audhlam-Gardiner (INED)
• Jack Buckner (CEO, UK Athletics)
• Paul Foster (CEO, Great Run Company)
• Charles Johnston (Trustee, London Marathon Foundation)
• Nick Homes (Commercial Director, Great Run Company)
• Denise Lewis (President, UKA)
• Jeanette Wong (Group CFO, London Marathon Events)
• Esther Britten (Observer, Deputy Director and Head of Major Events, UK Sport)

ENDS