Former British Olympic Association chief executive Simon Clegg has been appointed the non-executive chairman of Sport:80.
Sport:80 is a leading developer and provider of sport management software solutions. Clegg will take up his duties with immediate effect.
Clegg is a highly experienced sports businessman who has held numerous board positions, including his role with the BOA, and Ipswich Town FC, where he was chief executive between 2009 and 2013. He was also the Chief Operating Officer of the $1-billion inaugural 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, and holds the same position with Expo 2020 in Dubai. He was awarded an OBE in 2001, upgraded to CBE four years later.
He said: “I am very excited about working with Gary Hargraves and the team at Sport:80 – not only do they love and understand sport, they have shown how innovative technology has the power to transform the sector.
“Sport:80’s platform enables member engagement, and improves business efficiency and insight, which are all vital for sustainable growth at an organisational level, and for the sector as a whole.
“I’m delighted to be joining a business with proven experience of working with national federations, governing bodies, and teams in the UK, the United States and beyond – I’m convinced that we can build on these footholds in both the domestic and international markets to create new business opportunities, and build on recent year-on-year growth.
“As we continue to grow our community of customers and further develop the platform, I’m confident we will establish Sport:80 as the market leader whilst continuing to build long term brand value.”
Gary Hargraves, Sport:80’s founder and Chief Executive, said he was delighted that Mr Clegg was joining the company as Non-Executive Chairman. “His experience and reputation in the world of sport, both domestically and internationally, made him a natural choice for our business,” said Mr Hargraves.
“The sport sector needs to evolve to meet the changing expectations and interests of those that fund, govern and participate in sport.
“With unrivalled understanding of sports governance, funding and management, Simon is ideally placed to lead the growth of our business at a time of significant change within the sector.”