Board Members reappointed to the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA)
The Secretary of State has reappointed Jane Sawyers QPM and Dame Jil Matheson as SGSA Board Members to second terms of three years, from 12 December 2021 until 11 December 2024. David Mackinnon, Philip Kolvin QC and Susan Johnson OBE have been reappointed to third terms of one year, from 8 February 2022 until 7 February 2023.
David Mackinnon
David is Regional Head of Operations for Jockey Club Racecourses South West Region, incorporating Cheltenham, Exeter, Warwick and Wincanton racecourse. This sees him responsible for delivering operational high standards across the four racecourses, and the successful delivery of the £45m development at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Prior to this, David held Managing Director roles at Sandown Park and Royal Windsor Racecourse, and worked for three years at the Jockey Club whilst it was the regulator for horse racing. David spent three years as a trainee chartered accountant with Coopers and Lybrand.
Jane Sawyers QPM
Jane joined Staffordshire police as a constable in 1984 and served in every rank in the force, retiring as the chief constable in 2017. She worked throughout Staffordshire in a variety of roles including uniformed operations, drugs investigation and professional standards. As a senior officer, she led the force response to many high-profile operations including the national disorder in 2011, the London Olympics in 2012 and a number of terrorist incidents.
Whilst serving as a police officer she gained a master’s degree in applied criminology and police management from the University of Cambridge. In June 2017 she was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for her outstanding contribution to policing.
Jane joined the policing team at Staffordshire University in December 2018, and was appointed as an Associate Professor of Policing Practice in September 2020. She is a Deputy Lieutenant for Staffordshire, a board member at the YMCA North Staffordshire and a trustee of the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust. She is also the Patron of ASIST, a charity that provides specialist independent advocacy support for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or mental health issues.
Dame Jil Matheson
Dame Jil Matheson served as National Statistician, Head of the Government Statistical Service and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority from 2009 until her retirement in 2014, following a career in social research and statistics. During that time Jil also Chaired the OECD’s Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy and the UN Statistical Commission.
Jil is Honorary Secretary of the Academy of Social Sciences and a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. She is a Trustee of NatCen Social Research, and amember of the Royal Society’s Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education.
Philip Kolvin QC
Philip Kolvin QC is a barrister specialising in licensing and regulation, practising from the public and commercial law Chambers 11 KBW. He also sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court. Philip is a Patron of the Institute of Licensing, the Chair of the national gambling charity Betknowmore, Co-Chair of Crystal Palace Park Trust and Co-Vice Chair of King’s College Hospitality Charity. He is the author of a number of textbooks in the field of licensing.
Susan Johnson OBE
Susan Johnson OBE was the Chief Executive at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service until her retirement in July 2015. The appointment meant Susan was the first woman and non-uniformed chief executive to lead a Fire and Rescue Service in the United Kingdom.
Susan previously held the position of Chief Executive of the Northern Business Forum and Executive Director Business Development for the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward. Susan has held a number of non-executive roles throughout her career including Greggs plc, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Durham University. She is currently a Commissioner for the Local Government Boundary Commission for England and a Non Executive Director with the Health and Safety Executive. Susan was awarded an OBE for services to New Deal in the North East in 2000.
Trustees of the Sports Ground Safety Authority are remunerated £265 per day. These reappointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The reappointment process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. David Mackinnon, Jane Sawyers QPM, Dame Jil Matheson, Philip Kolvin QC and Susan Johnson OBE have not declared any activity.