A new era gets underway in British athletics this week as the incoming UK Athletics (UKA) Chief Executive Niels de Vos officially takes up his post on Tuesday 1 May.

De Vos, 40, has been charged with leading Britain’s premier Olympic sport towards London 2012 and beyond.

As Chief Executive, de Vos will work closely with Chairman Ed Warner to deliver the vision and strategy that will enable UKA to deliver success at every level.

He commented today: "I’m ready to hit the ground running, having spent much of my spare time over the last three months talking to a wide range of people within athletics and have been in constant contact with our Chairman who has been overseeing the day to day running of the organisation.

"There is so much to do if we are to fulfil our ambitions for 2012 and secure a vibrant future for athletics beyond then. But I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to working with the whole team to realise our potential."

Previously the Chief Executive of Sale Sharks rugby union club, de Vos has an outstanding track record in sports administration, having also worked as a Director of the successful 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Chairman Ed Warner added: "Niels’ background is all about delivering results in a high pressure sporting environment and having worked closely with him in the last few months, I know he will bring great vision and drive to UK Athletics. We must now set about doing what is needed to move our sport to the next level."