Chair - Harry Gration

Harry returned to BBC Look North in 1999 after a five-year break from the programme. During that time Harry tried out a professional job with a sport he'd followed for years - rugby league.

In 1994, he became their Public Affairs Executive - and returned to broadcasting soon after. It is, he says, a year he'll always remember.

BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Match of the Day and Grandstand grabbed him and then followed four years with South Today, where this northern boy was taken right into the hearts of those on the south coast.

Before his career in media Harry taught history. During his holidays he reported on sport for BBC Radio Leeds and Humberside. His natural talent was soon spotted and he took a gamble, giving up the teaching for a three-month contract as sports editor of Radio Leeds.
There was no stopping him of course –he became a regular reporter and commentator for the BBC's Olympics and Commonwealth Games coverage, travelling the world with his profession.

Harry has presented Grandstand and Sportsnight and has won two Royal Television Society Awards for his sports documentaries: White Rose in Africa (1992) and Dickie Bird - A Rare Species (1997).

Panellists

Dame Kelly Holmes

Dame Kelly Holmes secured her place in history by becoming the first British female athlete to win both the 800m and 1500m in the 2004 Olympic Games. One of her most successful seasons ever, Kelly's achievements on the track in 2004 set the pace for 25 high profile awards and accolades, among others BBC Sports Personality of the Year, European Athlete of the year, the prestigious title of the Laureus World Sports Woman of the year and in 2005 the ultimate honour of a Damehood by the Queen in the New Years Honours lists.

Kelly first established her working career as a member of the British Army in 1988.  First serving as a Heavy Goods Vehicle Driver before qualifying to become a Physical Training Instructor in 2001.  Reaching the Rank of Sergeant, Kelly decided to leave in 1997 to pursue a senior athletics career full time.  Upon leaving, Kelly was awarded a Member of the British Empire for her services to the British Army.

Kelly’s career as an senior international athlete started in 1993 when Kelly reached the semi-final of the World Championships in Stuggart, Germany - from there Kelly went on to win medals at Commonwealth Games, European Championships, World Championships and the Olympic Games prior to her success in Athens.

Since retiring in 2005, Kelly has developed both her professional and personal career path.  Founding Director of On 'Camp' with Kelly Mentoring and education initiative for junior middle distance athletes www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk

Kelly was then appointed Dame, Commander of the British Empire in 2005.  Also in 2005, was appointed the National School Sports Champion to help profile school sports.  Through that role, participation in school sport has significantly risen especially in the area of teenage girls where Kelly started and headed the initiative ‘Girls Active’.

Continuing to run her own Company, Double Gold (www.doublegold.co.uk), she then founded the DKH Legacy Trust in 2008 (www.dkhlegacytrust.org), to which she is the active Chair, to provide support to other elite performers as they develop a new career, whilst at the same time making the most of their skills and experience, working with young people in sport and education.

Kelly is Ambassador and Patron to the following UK charities:

• Princes Trust
• Variety Club of Great Britain
• Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards
• Sports Relief

Kelly was also asked to become a member of the Commission for Women in Sport in 2008.
Kelly is chairing an Olympic Legacy Taskforce on behalf of David Cameron.
Kelly was made President of Commonwealth Games England in June 2009.

Louise Martin, CBE

Louise was first elected to Commonwealth Games Scotland in 1995 and  served 2 terms as Chairman, from 1999 – 2007, the first woman to hold this post on the CGS. She is also currently the Commonwealth Games Federation Honorary Secretary, being re-elected unopposed for a third term in November 2007 – again the first woman to hold any post in the Federation.

Involved in the Games both as a competitor and an administrator, Louise competed in the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia where she made the swimming finals in 100m and 200m backstroke. She has also represented Scottish Gymnastics as President on the Scottish Commonwealth Games Council and was Gymnastics Team Manager at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, and deputy General Team Manager in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia 4 years later.

She sits on the Boards of UK Sport,  Scottish Sports Aid Foundation,  and the Court of Abertay.

In December 2002 Louise was named as the Sunday Times Sports Administrator of the Year.

In 2003 she was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to Commonwealth Games.

Louise led Scotland's bid to bring the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow, and has been appointed Vice Chair to Sir Robert Smith on the 2014 organising Committee.

Louise is also Chair of Sport Scotland.

Dan Jones

Dan is the Lead Partner of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte and manages the activities of the specialist group across all its services, but with a particular emphasis on consulting and corporate development.

Dan has advised a number of high profile clients on a range of issues including strategic, commercial, financial, regulatory, organisational and structural matters.

His clients include: Aston Villa, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Reading Football Clubs, The FA and Premier League, the ATP Men’s Tennis Tour, the British Horseracing Authority, IMG, the International Rugby Board, the Irish Rugby Football Union, Leicester Tigers RFC, NFL Europe, Octagon, the Rugby Football Union, Sportfive, Supersport, UEFA Volvo Ocean Race and Wasserman Media Group.

Having spent most of his career with Deloitte, including four years in corporate finance working on valuations, business plans and capital raising, Dan now works solely on sports related projects. His first sports business consulting project was a review of the Football League in England in early 1997. He is a regular speaker and expert commentator on sports business matters and he co-edits Deloitte's widely respected publications, the Annual Review of Football Finance and the Deloitte Football Money League.

Richard Lewis

A former Davis Cup player and international tennis coach of Grand Slam champions, Richard worked at the Lawn Tennis Association from 1988 to 2000 and in 1996 was Team Manager when Britain won a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

He joined the RFL in April 2002 as Executive Chairman, a role he fulfilled until 2009 when he became RFL Chairman following his appointment as Chairman of Sport England.

Under Richard’s stewardship, the RFL has grown to become one of the most efficiently and professionally managed National Governing Bodies in the country. During his time at the RFL, Richard has brought together the sport’s various strands to create a unified governing body. As a consequence the sport currently enjoys record levels of sponsorship, spectators, television viewers and is played by more people than ever before.

Richard has overseen a 174 per cent increase in television revenues which have increased from £9.9 million in 2002 to £27.2 million in 2009. 

The number of people playing the sport has also jumped significantly, aided by the rapid expansion in teams competing all around the country in the summer conference leagues. In 2002 there were 1,800 teams playing Rugby League accounting for 45,000 participants and now there are over 2,300 teams and almost 60,000 participants. School participation has also risen dramatically from 5,000 in 2002 to 25,000 in 2010.

The RFL has a workforce of 175 with around 100 based in the RFL’s Headquarters at Red Hall, Leeds and has recently been awarded Investors in People certification and is now one of the UK’s pioneering national governing bodies with regard to Equality and Diversity. Richard’s role as Chairman of the Rugby League European Federation has also seen the development and growth of the game to over 20 European and Mediterranean countries.

Richard chairs the Rugby League Council, RFL Board, Engage Super League and Co-operative Championship club forums and the Rugby League Community Board – a body which acts as a policy making and representative forum for the sport at grass roots level. In addition, Richard is Vice-Chairman of the Rugby League International Federation. Richard became Chairman of Sport England in April 2009. He had previously been involved with the organisation in a number of different ways, including leading the Challenge Group which helped shape the thinking around, and direction of, current Sport England strategy.