Karen Webb Moss Becomes First Woman To Be Appointed Permanent Chair Of British Swimming

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Karen Webb Moss: Photo Courtesy: British Swimming

Karen Webb Moss has been appointed the new Chair of British Swimming to become the first woman to hold the position on a permanent basis.

Webb Moss takes over from interim Chair Adele Stach-Kevitz – who had been in post since the death of Maurice Watkins in August 2021 – and who will now become senior non-executive director on the board.

With less than two years to go until the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris 2024, Webb Moss will be responsible for leading the British Swimming board and its focus on organisational strategy and development.

She will also be responsible for ensuring the best high-performance environment and resources are available to athletes, coaches and staff across the aquatic disciplines for optimum performance and culture.

Webb Moss has held several senior-level roles, primarily in sport and major events, having advised international governments, host cities, the Olympic and Paralympic movement, organising committees, national governing bodies, broadcasters and sponsors during her career.

She was executive director for marketing and communications for the Olympic Park Legacy Company in the lead-up to London 2012.

During this time, she was also a member of the UK Sport Major Events panel, leading on from her time as Head of Media and Marketing Communications for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee.

Over the past few years, she has been based overseas working with the leadership of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and prior to this was COO of the International Centre of Sport Security, where she remains a Board Director.

She returned to the UK at the beginning of this year to establish her own sports business, working most recently with Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

“This is an absolute honour and I am excited to take up the role of Chair of British Swimming. Despite what has been a difficult period for the Board and the entire team, their commitment and caring focus on excellence has resulted in proven and continued success in the water and on the podiums, and that has to be loudly applauded.

“Having worked across most aspects of sport, from event bids and international sport governing bodies to organising committees and sponsors, the drive, passion and reward throughout is the athlete and enabling them to achieve their goals, inspire us all and make nations proud.

“I am humbled by the already-warm welcome and impressed with the calibre of the Board and team. I am keen to get going – to listen and learn, to work with UK Sport, our Home Nations and the British Swimming team across our aquatic disciplines to contribute to and support the mission of ‘one team winning well in water’.”

Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport,  said:

“It was a pleasure to support British Swimming’s recruitment campaign for a new Chair. It has been a very difficult time for the organisation following the sad loss of Maurice Watkins, their late Chair, who had contributed enormously to the sport.

“I am pleased that British Swimming have appointed Karen Webb Moss and very much look forward to working with her.”

The process to recruit British Swimming’s permanent chief executive is ongoing and the new Chair – working in partnership with the British Swimming board – will be closely involved throughout the appointment process.

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