Our Leaders

The individuals who make our work possible.

Our Board

  • Neil Davidson CBE - Chair (and Nominations, Governance and Remuneration Committee Chair)

Neil is passionate about the power of sport and play to change the lives of young people based on his own experience as a teenager. Sport and exercise have continued to be important throughout his life. He is an experienced chair across a range of organisations from major companies to small voluntary committees. Currently, he chairs Optibiotix, a life-science plc developing microbiome technology. He is a partner in a specialist physiotherapy practice, Bridge4 which treats unfortunate people who have suffered life-changing accidents or diseases and encourages the over-50s back into exercise. Cricket is his own passion, he chairs The Cricketer Publishing Ltd and chairs his local cricket club, Loughborough Town. He has been an Associate Governor of Ashmount special needs school in Loughborough for the past 20 years. Neil was appointed a CBE in 2006.

  • Dame Katherine Grainger DBE

Katherine is the first British woman to win medals at five successive Olympic Games including a gold medal at London 2012. Katherine is now the Chair of UK Sport. She joined the YST Board in 2018. She works with various charities and sporting bodies and this, alongside her lengthy sporting career, was recognised when she was made a Dame for services to sport and charity in 2017.

  • Billy Downie

Billy is Headteacher of The Streetly Academy. He has served a National Leader of Education supporting schools in challenging circumstances. Billy has also served as an elected member of the West Midlands’ Regional School Commissioner’s Headteacher Board. He currently Chairs the Black Country School Games, and has recently served as an advisor to the Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Education. Billy is our Senior Independent Director and is also a member of the Nominations, Governance and Remuneration Committee. 

  • Dr Paula Franklin

Dr Paula Franklin is the Chief Medical Officer for Bupa Group. Paula studied medicine in the UK and worked as a GP before leaving clinical practice to study Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Following this she worked for the Children’s Defence Fund charity in Washington DC on US health policy and legislation. On returning to the UK, Paula joined Bupa and held a number of roles in both health funding and healthcare provision. In addition to her medical degree, Paula has a Master’s in Public Heath from Johns Hopkins, an MBA from London Business School, an MA in Bioethics and Medical Law and a diploma in counselling. Paula is also a trustee of the Bupa Foundation and she is on the Advisory Council of the Black Women in Leadership Network. Paula is a member of the Nominations, Governance and Remuneration Committee.

  • John Gilligan (Audit and Risk Committee Chair)

John, a Chartered Accountant, provides corporate finance advice to European financial technology companies. He has been involved in various aspects of community rugby over many years including establishing an education awards scheme for players, chairing an injured players fund and chairing London Irish Amateur RFC. He has also been a school governor.

  • Joanna Coates

Joanna has more than 20 years of experience working with brands, rights holders and the media. She made waves in her former role as Chief Executive of England Netball, where they secured rights to host the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 in Liverpool, which was the best attended Netball World Cup to date. Netball also became the fastest growing female team sport in the country under her guidance. Most recently, Joanna was the Chief Executive of UK Athletics between March 2020 – October 2021. Joanna is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

  • Valerie Copenhagen

Valerie is currently on secondment as the Head of Disability at Sport England. Previously she held the role of Executive Director at UK Deaf Sport where she led on programmes linked with increasing participation of deaf and hard hearing people in sport and physical activity across the UK. She has over ten years of experience within the charity sector. She also sits on the board at UK Council on Deafness and is chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance Youth Advisory Panel. Valerie is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead on our Board and is also a member of the Nominations, Governance and Remuneration Committee.

  • Claire Boakes

Claire has over 20 years’ experience leading industry-winning marketing, brand and partnership campaigns. Currently managing Land Rovers global sport & humanitarian portfolio, she is very experienced in credible and authentic partnership management and communications. Claire has a passion for championing the next generation and purpose lead strategy.

  • Shweta Sharma

Shweta is an experienced commercial strategist, business and technology leader. She has extensive experience creating and managing the end-to-end delivery of innovative digital products and services. She is passionate about creating fun, engaging and climate appropriate services, which are consumer first. Shweta was Director Entertainment at Xbox Europe, Middle East and Africa where she built a new commercial division by creating and scaling new sports, TV and apps products and services. She has led digital businesses spanning various industries, such as Navico, Disney and Harvey Nichols. Shweta is a non-executive board member of BT Group’s Technology Advisory Board and works across a diverse portfolio of companies. She is a proud mentor to women in tech and a champion for evolving culture in the workplace. Shweta is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

  • Abi Misselbrook-Lovejoy 

Abi is an Executive Headteacher across two primary schools in inner London. She is passionate about school sport being inclusive and fun and was an Advanced Skills Teacher in primary PE and Maths before moving into school leadership. Before volunteering with the Youth Sport Trust Abi had been involved in charities supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion in London.

  • Fatou Jeng

Fatou is a senior television executive with over 20 years’ experience specialising in broadcast regulations, factual, entertainment and live sports programming. She has worked at various UK broadcasters including Channel 4, Sky and most recently BT Sport where she was Head of Broadcast Regulation. She is a real advocate for strategic and cultural change, with a passion for building inclusive work environments. Fatou has facilitated opportunities for local community groups and schools with the aim of diversifying the future broadcasting landscape. She has worked across human rights initiatives within sports broadcasting, helping to identify and remedy human rights risks within their operations. Fatou is also currently a trustee for an East London based women’s empowerment charity, You Make It.

  • Abhishna Yogaragan

Abhishna is the Chair of our Youth Board. She is currently a student and has a great passion for spreading awareness for the benefits of physical activity, the importance of diversity and the impact of sport and play on our wellbeing.

Observers:

  • Shaunagh Brown 

Shaunagh is one of only 30 professional rugby players in England, who also plays for the Harlequins FC. Shaunagh has a passion for getting young people active in any way that engages them whether that's elite competition, local competition or just participation activity. With a particular interest in supporting girls to be active. Starting her sporting career on the athletics track, Shaunagh has competed for Great Britain in the Shot Put, Discus and Hammer before going on to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She then turned her attention to rugby in 2015 and less than two years later was running out for her first England appearance. Shaunagh joined the Student RFU board of trustees in 2021.