CIMSPA ANNOUNCES CEO APPOINTMENT

The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity is pleased to confirm the appointment of Sean Holt as Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Holt had been acting as interim CEO since the launch of the new Institute in April 2011, during which time he has guided CIMSPA through a merger, secured Royal Privy Council approval for Chartership, leveraged the backing of leading sector figureheads such as Lord Sebastian Coe, overseen the appointment of twelve new UK-side regional and national management boards and the appointment of Miles Templeman as Chairman.

In a career spanning over twenty years, Mr Holt’s previous positions have seen him playing key roles on such major projects as Wembley Stadium, Manchester’s SportCity complex, the London Youth Games, the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Legacy Plan for London 2012.

Welcoming the appointment, CIMSPA Chair, Miles Templeman, said:

“The board unanimously agreed the confirmation of Sean Holt as CEO of CIMSPA.  He has considerable knowledge of the sector, and his wide-ranging experience means that he can appreciate the challenges that professionals working in these areas face.

“Sean has already successfully achieved a number of significant milestones in his first year as Interim CEO, in what was always going to be a challenging period, following a merger and taking into account the challenging economic climate.  The board looks forward to supporting him with the task ahead, of achieving a unified and truly representative voice for the sector.”

Mr Holt will be taking up his post with immediate effect, heading up the central CIMSPA team, which is based at at Sport Park in Loughborough.

ENDS

KEY FACTS:

• Sean Holt’s biographical details are provided at the end of this release.
• Please see the attached photo of Sean Holt.
• Launched in 2011, CIMSPA is the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector.
• CIMSPA provides leadership, support and empowerment for professionals working in sport and physical activity and a single unified voice for the sector.  It also aims to drive standards of professional practice, which in turn will support increased participation, outcomes and profit. 
• CIMSPA has been awarded Chartership status by the Royal Privy Council, which came into effect at the start of January 2012. 

CONTACT:

Laura King
00 44 121 710 4463
laura@citydesksport.com
Website: www.cimspa.co.uk

SEAN HOLT BIO:

Sean is currently Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, launched in January 2011.  The Institute – which aims to represent the one million professionals working in sport and physical activity across the UK with one unified voice – was the result of a merger between the previous professional bodies ILAM and ISRM.  As Chief Executive of the latter, Sean played a key role in negotiating the deal, which has provided the sector with one development body that will drive professional practices across the workforce. 

In his previous role, Sean successfully changed the ISRM’s business model, increased membership and relocated its HQ.  Other past roles include Interim Director of Partnerships for the Amateur Swimming Association, and London and South East Regional Director, Senior Facilities Development Manager and Head of Special Projects and Major Events at Sport England.  In addition to commissioning the Olympic Legacy Plan for London 2012, his other major achievements in these positions include setting up the Inclusive and Active Plan for disability sport, securing investment into the London Youth Games, developing the infrastructure of the English Institute of Sport and delivering substantial investment into the Manchester Commonwealth Games.  Sean has also worked in local government and has been a non-executive director of Culture South East, South East Tourism and a member of the Regional Assembly.

Married with four children, Sean is a keen sportsman and a loyal Preston North End fan.