Simon Bazalgette, Group CEO of The Jockey Club, has been announced today as one of four new non-executive Directors of London 2017. These appointments along with a new co-Chair will have strategic oversight of London’s delivery of the World Athletics Championships.

Simon said: “The 2017 World Championships can give us those all-too-rare moments of shared national celebration and create new sporting icons. It’s a really exciting period for sports fans and I’m sure the British public will get right behind the event.”

Simon Morton, Chief Operating Officer at UK Sport, said: ‘The calibre of people appointed to these crucial roles demonstrates the appeal and importance of this prestigious event.

‘They bring a wealth of commercial and sporting experience to the team, and will ensure we can move forward fully focused on delivering a World Athletics Championships that makes the nation proud.’

London 2017 Co-Chair Ed Warner said: ‘I am delighted that we have attracted such excellent Non-Executive Directors. This is a Board that can take strategic decisions in an atmosphere of collaboration behind the clear common goal of staging the best ever World Championships’

Sir Robin Young KCB, who headed the Department for Media, Culture and Sport as Permanent Secretary between 1998 and 2001 and the Department for Trade and Industry from 2001 to 2005, has been appointed co-Chair alongside Ed Warner.

Simon is joined by three additional newly appointed Non-Executive Directors:

David Armstrong (Audit Committee Chair) – Group CEO for Wasps where he led the successful acquisition of the Ricoh Arena and the relocation of the club to Coventry in 2014. Other previous positions include Group Financial Director of Lonrho Plc and positions with Diageo, Pepsi, Compass and McArthurGlen.

Liz McMahon – the Managing Director of Madison Muir Group London, whose previous positions include Head of Marketing for Treasury and Investor Services at JP Morgan, Director of Marketing Services at the IOC and the Head of International Marketing on the winning bid for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Vinai Venkatesham – Chief Commercial Officer for Arsenal FC, and formerly part of the commercial team at LOCOG where he worked across the Games’ successful three-tier sponsorship structure and wider commercial programme.