Lisa O'Keefe joins Alliance to push forward IWG project

Lisa joins the Alliance on a secondment from Sport England, where she has expertly held the position of Executive Director of Insight for over eight years.

The former Scottish rugby international is also a strong advocate for women’s sport having previously worked with Women in Sport before joining Sport England where her achievements include the development of the globally recognised campaign This Girl Can. She currently sits on the advisory board of Her Spirit, an organisation which promotes healthy lifestyles for women.

Chair of the UK Executive for the IWG, Annamarie Phelps has welcomed the appointment. She said: “Lisa is one of the best known and most respected names in sports administration in the UK and her expertise, experience and passion will help us enormously to realise the potential of the opportunity we have over the next four years.

“With her background in insight and inclusivity, Lisa will play a valuable role in working with domestic stakeholders to ensure that our message of harnessing the power of sport as a driver for social change and social equity, is heard and shared with everyone.”

The initial focus for Lisa will be to establish an advisory board for the group, to identify the opportunities for collaboration and to work with the New Zealand Secretariat on the handover process.

Speaking of her excitement at leading this work, Lisa said: “During the bid process I was struck by the support and commitment from a broad range of partners across the UK to work together to tackle inequalities and advance women and girls sport and physical activity. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to help put some of the foundations of the UK bid in place.”

For more information about the International Working Group on Women and Sport, please contact IWG@sportandrecreation.org.uk.

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