7 January 2009
Sport England today announced the appointment
of Rona Chester to the newly-created post of Chief Operations
Officer (COO).
The COO is key to our aim of creating a
world-leading community sport system which provides opportunities
for people to play and enjoy more sport, as well as ensuring the
continued effective financial and operational management of the
organisation.
Rona will lead several important functional
areas including finance, business planning, information technology
and grants management, in addition to working closely with the
Chair and Chief Executive on broader operational matters.
Rona joins Sport England on 1 March from the
Law Society, where she has been Group Finance Director since 2007.
As well as supporting the CEO on all financial and governance
matters at the Law Society, she has been responsible for developing
the commercial awareness of the organisation and managing a team in
finance, facilities and internal audit.
Her previous roles have included Finance
Director at the communications industry regulator, OFCOM, and
European Finance Director for Sotheby’s.
Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price,
said:
“We are delighted to have appointed someone of
Rona’s calibre to this new and important post. It is one which sits
at the heart of our organisation, and with her considerable
experience in both the public and private sectors, I am confident
that we will build upon the standards and momentum we have
established over the past two years.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Rona Chester’s professional qualifications
include:
- FCA- Fellow Institute of Chartered Accountants ( ICAEW)
- ACT- Association of Corporate Treasurers
Sport England invests National Lottery and
Exchequer funding in organisations and projects that will grow and
sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities
for people to excel at their chosen sport.
Sport England is committed to creating a
world-leading community sport system, and has set specific and
measurable targets to achieve by 2012/13:
- One million people doing more sport
- A 25% reduction in the number of 16- to 18-year-olds who drop
out of at least five key sports
- Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
- A measurable increase in people’s satisfaction with their
experience of sport
- A major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports
offer for children and young people.
For more information please contact the press
office: Peter Dickinson on 020 7273 1800 or Andrew St Ledger on 020
7273 1593.