UKACTIVE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst With the Ukactive Research Institute
Alex is a Senior Research Analyst with the ukactive Research Institute. She is experienced in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis and leads and supports on a wide variety of the ukactive Research Institute measurement and evaluation projects. She specialised in qualitative data collection and analysis, which includes conducting and delivering consultations, focus groups, and interviews and completing in-depth, translatable and ad hoc analysis for reports. She works on projects across the life course, however leads on all workforce related research projects. Alex has a background in psychology and is currently furthering her development by simultaneously undertaking a Doctorate in Sports and Exercise Psychology with the University of Portsmouth and is a Practitioner Sports & Exercise Psychologist. Her area of specialism focuses on the psychological determinants of behaviour change and the role workplace culture plays in impacting employee physical activity participation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Independent Non - Executive Director
Straight out of College, Dave founded Mosaic in 1987, with fellow graduate and close friend, Steve Taylor.
Together, they grew the business from a one site, three staff operation into a multi-site contract management business operating health clubs and day spas, primarily in hotels, employing over 450 staff and with an annual turnover in excess of £10million.
Having sold out to a PLC in 2001, the pair bought the business back three years later and developed the Imagine spa concept to support the health club offering.
In 2011, Mosaic acquired it's first freehold stand alone health club and day spa when it bought The Shrewsbury Club out of administration. Since then, the business has gone on to add two more freehold clubs; Holmer Park in Hereford and Riverhills in Ipswich.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Elected Director - Wider Activity Promotion Sector
Dave Wright is the CEO and Creator of MYZONE, the CEO and owner of Creative Fitness Marketing and an investor in various businesses in the UK, USA and Australia. He is the current Chair of UKActive's Supplier Council and a former Board member of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity in the United States.
Dave's companies work directly with over 9,000 businesses across 80 different countries which has given him the unique ability to view the global industry from a supplier, buyer and health club member's perspective. An Antipodean with a BA in Recreation Leadership and Marketing, Dave is respected as a straight talking and energetic entrepreneur who has spent the majority of his life encouraging people to be more and stay more physically active.
Dave is a member of the ukactive Membership Council, and Chair of the ukactive Supplier Council
In 1991 John started his first gym business, Dragons Health Clubs, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, with 22 clubs. Dragons was sold in 2000. He then lent his expertise to premium gym chain Esporta, before he concentrated on the launch of The Gym Group in 2008.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Dr Ben Kelly leads the Clinical Research & Outcomes functions withing Nuffield Health, the UK's largest healthcare charity. His work primarily focuses on whole systems approaches to the tailoring of interventions for the treatment of long-term conditions. Ben works closely with the NHS and is specialist in the design and implementation of new care models that are driven by both health and fitness professionals; particularly focussing on primary and secondary prevention. Alongside his Nuffield Health responsibilities, Ben has acted as Head of Interdisciplinary Medicine & Technology at the Medical Research Council, with his clinical expertise sitting within cardiac physiology and diagnostics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Dr Dale Esliger leads an internationally recognised research group focusing on the skilled deployment of novel digital health technologies (e.g., wearables) to quantify the dose-response relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health. Funding for the group has come from a wide variety of sources (e.g., grants from MRC, NIHR, EPSRC, as well as numerous contract research and enterprise projects with government bodies, third sector entities, and businesses. To date Dr Esliger has secured research/enterprise income of over £5M across the UK, Canada, EU, and US sources and published over 100 peer reviewed papers and government and industry reports.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Dr Hayley Mills is a Reader is Exercise Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University where she is Director of the Perinatal Physical Activity Research Group and is a Chartered/HCPC Registered Psychologist. Hayley is a core committee member of the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) physical activity communications committee and previously chaired the expert working group that developed for publication the CMO's physical activity guidelines for women after childbirth. Hayley is an experienced mixed methods researcher who has authored a range of academic publications, alongside medical and industry resources. Hayley is trustee of the Active Pregnancy Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Head of Research and Development
Dr Matthew Wade is Head of Research and Development at ukactive. Working across ukactive's strategic pillars, Matthew promotes and supports best practice for data collection, analysis, and reporting ensuring an evidence-based approach to practice and policy. Matthew has extensive experience of physical activity-based research and evaluation across various populations. This involves the design and delivery of research and evaluation projects on behalf of numerous local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Groups, charities, physical activity providers, governing bodies and large brands. Examples include leading on the design, implementation and reporting of the Scottish Care Inspectorate's Care about Physical Activity programme, the ‘Sense, Active Together' programme, the ‘British Active Students Survey', Buckinghamshire County Council's Active Bucks initiative, Essex County Council's commissioning of Let's Get Moving. Matthew is experienced in collecting short-term as well as longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data and in designing bespoke questionnaires using appropriate, well-established and veracious measures. Matthew's PhD thesis provided an evaluation of a community-based intervention grounded in Motivational Interviewing that aimed to improve physical activity and mental wellbeing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Director of Division of Global Public Health
Dr Nana Anokye is Director of Division of Global Public Health, Brunel University London. He is a Reader in Health Economics with research interests in economics of physical activity. Nana's work on Economics of Physical Activity has been used by NICE to formulate three national public health guidelines on exercise referral schemes, and brief advice for adults in primary care. Nana is the Chair of ISPAH low and middle-income countries research council and a member of the Africa Research Excellence Fund College of Experts. As an ILM certified coach, mentor, and a former broadcast journalist, Nana is passionate about communicating research and supporting research careers. He is the founder of the African Health Economists in the Diaspora (AHEAD) mentoring scheme.
In 2014 Greg was awarded an OBE for his services to Sport, Sport Science & Charity, and was voted as one of the Top 10 Science Communicators in the UK by the British Science Council. Greg is an Olympian in modern pentathlon, and is a European and World medalist. He is a specialist in the field of sports and exercise science. Graduating from Brunel University, he furthered his studies with an MSc in human performance in the USA and completed his PhD at St. Georges Hospital Medical School, London. Greg is currently a Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore's University. Greg's former roles include Director of Research for the British Olympic Association; Director of Science & Research for the English Institute of Sport; and Director of Performance at the Centre for Health and Human Performance at 76 Harley Street, London. Greg is an authority on Sport & Exercise Physiology and Performance. An internationally recognised expert in the field having published over 350 peer reviewed papers, 8 books and a leading media commentator. Greg has extensive professional experience assessing, treating and improving the performance of patients, sporting enthusiasts and athletes ranging from cancer sufferers to celebrities attempting their first mountain summit to Gold medal seeking Olympians. Greg is well-known for his involvement in Comic Relief, since 2006 Greg has applied his sports science work to assist various celebrities in completing some of the toughest challenges. Greg has trained, motivated and successfully coached 32 Sport & Comic Relief Challenges raising over £50 million for charity.
Huw has been CEO of ukactive since July 2019, following three years as Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Research. During his ukactive career, Huw has played a key role in shaping the organisation's strategy and business plan, as well as leading its engagement with government and wider stakeholders.
In 2017, Huw was named Leisure Sector Champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to the DWP's objectives. Previously, Huw was the Public Affairs lead at British Tennis, working across both the Lawn Tennis Association and The Tennis Foundation. He has also worked for both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Olympic Delivery Authority during the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Job Titles:
- Elected Director - Commercial Fitness Sector
John Treharne is a former accountant and England squash player who's experience in the fitness industry spans 29 years.
In 1991 John started his first gym business, Dragons Health Clubs, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, with 22 clubs. Dragons was sold in 2000. He then lent his expertise to premium gym chain Esporta, before he concentrated on the launch of The Gym Group in 2008.
Under John's leadership, The Gym Group pioneered the low cost gym model with contractless, 24/7 operations and online sign-up. In November 2015, The Gym Group became the first UK health and fitness group to debut on the London Stock Exchange in over 15 years. In February 2016 the business was named as a finalist and Ruban d'Honneur recipient in the 2015/16 European Business awards. John stepped down as CEO of The Gym Group in September 2018, but remains on the board as Founder Director.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Freelance Management Consultant
Katy Cox is a freelance management consultant, working with both public sector and commercial organisations across a wide range of strategic projects, specialising in developing business cases and strategies, advising organisations undertaking mergers and acquisitions, and undertaking governance reviews.
Katy chairs the Finance & General Purpose Committee, and is members of the Remuneration Committee
Job Titles:
- Lecturer
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Kerry Wardell is a lecturer in Sport Development and Sports Business Management at the University of Winchester, in addition to Sport Development and Recreation officer at Test Valley Borough Council. She is a final year PhD student specialising in strategic development of physical activity and grassroots sports participation. Previously working within British Rowing and World Rowing as a training and development specialist, establishing rowing programmes in the UK and abroad. Working in both academia and as a practitioner she brings real-world experience to research and analysis.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Professor in Public Health
Lynne Kennedy, Professor in Public Health and Nutrition, with an emphasis on obesity prevention and weight management amongst other areas of specialism. Over 20 years employment in academia, with the past 12 of these in middle and senior management. Lynne is Honary Research fellow in Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Liverpool
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Elected Director - Public Leisure Operator Sector
Mark Sesnan is the Managing Director of the leading leisure charitable social enterprise GLL, founded in 1993. Mark has extensive experience in leisure management, having worked for many years at a senior level in local government and the leisure trust sector.
He is Secretary of Community Leisure UK and Co-Chair of the London Social Enterprise Leaders Business Club. Mark has enjoyed 40 years in the leisure industry, working at every level, from poolside to Managing Director.
Mike is a well established and respected management consultant with 13 years of CEO experience in the NHS, having stepped down as the Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation in September 2013. He then carried out consultancy work where he chaired the PwC Public Sector Health Board helping to improve the company's offer to the health and care sector. As part of Mike's portfolio he has built a successful independent consulting business practice (Mike Farrar Consulting Ltd) working with clients such as Celesio, RCGP, ABPI, NHS Quest, NHS Leadership Academy, J and J, Health Foundation, Medtronic, intuitive, Pfizer, Novartis, CIPFA, Olympus, Ondine Medical, and Visionable as well as advising on equity investment and starting up a number of small companies aimed at promoting health innovations, and links with sport.
In addition to his role as Chair, Mike also Chairs the Nominations Committee, is member of the Remuneration Committee, is the Board Champion for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and Lead Board Director for Welfare & Safety.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Prof Andy Lane is Director of Research overseeing research in education, health, psychology and sport. A Chartered and HCPC Registered Psychologist, Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, he has authored over 150 articles and edited 5 books. He led a BBC ab UK study on the effectiveness of brief online interventions to enhance emotions and achieve goals, a project fronted by Olympic legend Michael Johnson. Applied work varies from working with elite athletes, to helping people initiate and engage with physical activity. He practices what he preaches and has done nearly 500 parkruns, recently achieved a 25 year of running a sub 3-hour marathon, and is currently trying to row 2k under 7 mins on a concept 2.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board
- Head of Department for Sport and Exercise at University of East London
Dr Stewart Bruce-Low is currently Head of Department for Sport and Exercise at University of East London. He has extensive experience of working with elite performers (e.g., Premier League football, GB Wheelchair Rugby, Formula 1, International Rugby) alongside implementing community interventions to address health inequalities across a range of conditions from falls prevention to osteoarthritis. His research is applied and impact driven and is based across the sport and exercise continuum into areas such as using exercise as a tool for enhancing community holistic health across the lifecycle as well as performance enhancement in elite football.
Job Titles:
- Independent Non - Executive Director
- Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
Victoria O'Byrne is a seasoned communications and corporate affairs director, specialising in reputation management for high-profile individuals, organisations and campaigns. She has worked in executive roles in both the commercial and public sectors, and recently held the position of Communications Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.