ALISTAIR Gray, chair of British Swimming and one of Europe’s leading management consultants, has been appointed executive chairman of Winning Scotland Foundation – founded by Sir Bill Gammell, the oil and gas entrepreneur and former Scotland rugby international.
Gray, founder of Glasgow-based Renaissance & Company, assumes the part-time position with immediate effect and will drive forward a five year growth strategy for the business-led charity.
The Foundation’s vision is Scottish success through ‘sustained effort’.
It aims to foster cultural change and encourage young Scots to adopt sport as a tool for life.
Gray brings a wealth of international sport and business experience to this new executive chairman role. He was the first chair of the Scottish Institute of Sport, former chair of British Basketball and recently retired from the European Hockey Federation board and Euro Hockey League after 20 years’ service.
Having co-founded the Foundation in 2005, Alistair Gray commented: “I am honoured to be working with a highly skilled team who are passionate about helping young people to be winners in life.
“It’s a pivotal time to take on this challenge as we are expanding our flagship programmes across local communities to help young people learn that success is achieved through sustained effort.
“We are focusing on four key areas: making sport and physical activity more enjoyable; increasing access to role models, developing better, more sustainable clubs and developing age appropriate physical and psychological development.”
Sir Bill Gammell will chair the advisory group and continue as an active member of the management board.
He added: “Alistair has the perfect mix of skills to lead the board through an exciting expansion phase.
“We share a vision where sport is recognised for its unique role in being able to develop young people to be winners in life. But while sport has the power to inspire young people we know that sustained effort is the key to success in all aspects of life.”
Notes to editors:
Winning Scotland Foundation
Founded in 2005 by Sir Bill Gammell, chair of Cairn Energy PLC, the Foundation pilots pioneering programmes which aim to bring about cultural change and encourage young people to adopt sport as a tool for life.
It works in partnership with the Scottish Government, local authorities, schools and the business community to develop programmes like Positive Coaching Scotland and Champions in Schools to deliver practical programmes that create long lasting, more positive experiences for young people.
Work Out For Sport was launched with Deloitte in 2010, enabling its staff to volunteer time to support local community sport clubs.
The Foundation’s influential management board includes Simon Thomson, chief executive, Cairn Energy PLC; Mark Little, regional director Scotland & Northern Ireland, Barclays Wealth; Mike Whittingham, director of high performance, sportscotland.
For full list please visitwww.winningscotlandfoundation.org <http://www.winningscotlandfoundation.org>
Alistair Gray Co-founded Winning Scotland Foundation in 2005.
He is founder and managing director of Renaissance & Company (one of Europe’s leading strategic management consultants), chair of British Swimming and the Edrington Group Pension Trustee Board.
He was the first chair of the Scottish Institute of Sport (1998-2005 – rebranded sportscotland institute of sport) and a member of the High Performance Board of UK Sport.
He is a member of the International Hockey Federation’s marketing committee and former chair and president of honour of the Scottish Hockey Union.
In 2007, he was appointed Honorary Professor in Sports Studies at the University of Stirling and lectures occasionally at the University of Canberra (Australia).
He was a director of PA Consulting Group and Arthur Young Management Consultants before founding Genesis in 1991 which merged with PMP in 2009 to form pmpgenesis.
Other previous non-executive appointments include Highland Distillers PLC, AorTech International PLC and Curtis Fine Papers.
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