The Board of England Hockey is committed to operating with clear and transparent governance processes in line with accepted codes of practice.
The company’s memorandum and articles are available for any affiliated member to read.
Since its formation in May 2003, the Board has been working its way through a hierarchy of governance procedures. This is an evolving process as the various bodies deemed to be necessary to achieve England Hockey's strategic priorities are defined and formalised. It has also ensured that England Hockey is compliant with the Code of Sports Governance which is a condition of the public funding that it receives.
England Hockey Board Members
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Nick Pink - Chief Executive
Nick joined England Hockey in November 2019, coming from England Golf where he was Chief Executive for four years. Nick has a background in sports administration having worked for the International Cricket Council, UK Sport and the Youth Sport. Nick is a hockey enthusiast, and has played, coached and umpired across the country.
Rich Beer - Sport & Development Director
Rich joined England Hockey as Development Director in May 2013 from Sport England where he was an NGB Relationship Manager. A graduate of Cambridge University Rich began his career in hockey in the Midlands Regional Office following which he moved to the Oxfordshire County Sports Partnership. Rich has a strong voluntary background in hockey having held various club, county and regional roles including time as a club chairman and county secretary and managing international teams from under 16 to seniors.
Kuldeep Kaur - Finance & Operations Director
Kuldeep joined England Hockey in October 2020, coming from 9 years at the Rugby Football Union where she led financial planning, strategy and partnering teams. Kuldeep is a qualified CIMA accountant and is well versed in the financial operations of an NGB and its statutory obligations. Kuldeep is also a coach and mentor for senior leaders across sport as well as being a board trustee for a Charity offering careers counselling to vulnerable young people.
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Kathleen Russ - Non-Executive Chair
Kathleen Russ was appointed as Chair in September 2024. Kathleen has had a 30 year career as a preeminent lawyer and over a decade of senior leadership experience in the public and private sector. She was the executive chair of leading international law firm, Travers Smith, until 2023 and is now enjoying a non-executive career. Reflecting her interest and passion for the sporting sector, Kathleen is a current non-executive director at British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). She is also a non-executive commissioner for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery and a member of the Council of JUSTICE, the leading human rights charity. Kathleen's love for hockey started as school girl.
She spent many happy years playing the sport in her younger years, including playing for Oxford against her sister in the Blues match. In more recent years she has also enjoyed introducing her sons to the sport and watching them compete in their early school years.
Anne-Marie Garner
Anne-Marie brings extensive board experience in both the profit and not for profit sectors and has an extensive corporate governance background. She spent twenty-five years as a general counsel before moving into the well-being space as VP of Corporate Strategy for Therme Group. She also brings a strong equality, diversity and inclusion background having run an ED&I global function for a FTSE STEM company.
Damian Smith
Damian is one of the most notable technologists within international sport, an expert in Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning and one of the Top 100 most influential people in data and analytics over a 25 year career in Technology across a range of sectors including Defence, Telecoms, FMCG, Sports, Media, Financial Services and Financial Regulation.
Previously, Damian was the Head of IT at the England and Wales Cricket Board where his team pioneered the use of cloud technology, big data and analytics, and artificial intelligence to grow the game, deliver fantastic customer experience and improve athletic performance. Damian tenuously claims responsibility for England winning the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup and the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Before Damian realised that his future lay in information technology, he ran pubs, climbed mountains and starred as a body double for Tom Cruise in Hollywood movies.
Mark Darbon
Mark is Chief Executive of The R&A, having previously held the same position at Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints. Mark has over fifteen years’ experience in the sport and event sector. Prior to his career in sport, which has included working for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the mass participation events business, Tough Mudder, Mark spent five years with Diageo Plc in a variety of strategic and commercial roles across multiple international markets.
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Angela Durnin
Angela has a wealth of experience across the finance industry and is an active and committed hockey club member having volunteered with London Wayfarers in various roles for over 10 years. A qualified Chartered Accountant with experience across a multitude of specialisms in the finance industry, Angela has a track record of delivering back office modernisation strategy and significant cost reduction in challenging and resistant environments. Angela is passionate about accessibility to grass roots sport for all players regardless of ability, social demographic and ethnicity and has been instrumental in the membership growth at LWHC to an impressive 1500 players.
Shelagh Everett
Shelagh was elected for a second term as a Member Elected NED at the March 2024 AGM and brings a wealth of experience following lifelong involvement in our sport as a player (currently club/North Masters), player pathway parent, EHL manager, umpire and club leadership roles. Shelagh is currently Chair of Timperley HC, a Director of Timperley Sports Club and Vice Chair of North West Hockey Ltd.
Outside of hockey, Shelagh has 30 years of experience in the co-operative/community sector including strategic roles in financial services and development, member/stakeholder engagement, governance, and consulting for Co-operatives UK the national body. Shelagh’s professional and community hockey experience enable her to bring a strong grounded focus and constructive challenge from the grass roots club and Area perspective coupled with a strategic focus and the clarity needed to ensure all aspects of our sport are well governed, sustainable and thrive in the future.
Simon Mantell
Simon retired from international hockey in 2016, having represented Great Britain and England 212 times, scoring 62 goals. Simon competed at the 2008 & 2016 Olympic Games and also at three Commonwealth Games. Having come through the junior pathway and also coached, Simon has much experience in the sport and feels passionately about wanting to help grow grassroots participation, improve international rankings/medal results and generate an engaged fan base for the international men’s and women’s teams. Simon is now a Client Executive with EY where his role involves supporting clients across the sport industry ecosystem and managing key corporate client relationships. This experience, combined with his recent knowledge of hockey at the elite level, provides a unique perspective, allowing Simon to represent the communal player voice on the board, while also being aware of the challenges faced by an NGB.
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Alex Danson-Bennett - President
Alex was voted in as President at the England Hockey AGM in March 2024.
Alex has over 30 years of experience within hockey, from school to club to international success. She is passionate about all levels of the game from grass roots to international. Alex played 306 times for England and Great Britain Hockey, including winning a gold medal at The Olympics in 2016. Alex hopes to use her skills and knowledge to support, influence and continue the growth of hockey, taking great pride in celebrating the visibility of our game, supporting players of all levels and connecting with our hockey community.
Dawn Bonner - Vice President
Dawn was voted in as a Vice President of England Hockey at the EH AGM in March 2021.
She has been involved in hockey for most of her life, first as a player with the then Ealing Ladies Hockey club in the 80’and 90’s before becoming a qualified L2 umpire in 1992 in the South Region. Since then Dawn has moved to Umpire coaching, assessing and umpire management, being active in the NPUA since 2009 and she became an FIH Umpire Manager in 2014.
She has been the Vice President of Middx HUA for the last 4 years as well as the Deputy Chair of the Southern Counties HUA for 3 years, following 11 years as the Secretary from 2003-2011. She is currently working with the London Officiating Transition Team supporting on the restructuring of Officiating in the London Area.
Nick Welby - Vice President
Nick was voted in as Vice President at the England Hockey AGM in March 2024.
Nick is an active member of the hockey community, playing at club level and also as a member of the England Masters’ O50 squad. Having been a CEO, he is well versed in the complexities of running and leading a not-for-profit business that has a vocal membership and global reach.
Nick enjoys being part of the hockey family and wants others to benefit from the same love of the sport. In his role as Vice President, he wants to be able to give back to the game and ensure that England Hockey continues to evolve, be relevant and provide opportunities for all.
Sheila Morrow - Great Britain Hockey President
Sheila was voted in as President of the GB Board in 2017 and has also been a member of the Hockey Wales Board since 2008. In 2019, Sheila was awarded an OBE for services to hockey in Wales.
As a player, Sheila represented Wales on 112 occasions across a 17 year career and was captain from 1982-1984. She also played 24 times for Great Britain and was selected to play at the 1980 Olympics but unfortunately could not represent the nation as they boycotted the Games.
She then went on to become an FIH Grade 1 Umpire and an FIH Grade 1 Technical Official, which saw her take on roles as a Judge at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, Technical Officer at the 2010 Women's Hockey World Cup and Tournament Director at the 2012 Women's Champions Trophy.
