The critical appointment will see Jo Coates join the National Governing Body with immediate
effect, taking over the reins from Lisa Pearce after her departure from the sport in early
September 2022.
In the Interim CEO role, Coates will support the staff team and wider sport to embed the
dramatic transformational change programme that wheelchair basketball has undertaken
over the last four years with Pearce at the helm – specifically with a focus on driving
forward the High-Performance Partnership Network and Women’s Premier League, enabling
continued sustainable commercial growth and achieving the sport’s ambitious participation
targets through the delivery of the Sport England funded Inspire a Generation Programme.
Coates will bring to British Wheelchair Basketball her extensive understanding and insight
into team and Olympic sport, from grassroots participation to elite performance programmes,
following her role as CEO at Netball England and more recently as CEO of UK Athletics.
British Wheelchair Basketball has also commenced its recruitment search for its next CEO
with recruitment partner Elite Performance Partners (EPP) – for further information regarding
the vacancy please visit the BWB website.
On the announcement of her appointment, Jo Coates commented:
“I have huge admiration for Lisa Pearce as a CEO, and the change she has orchestrated
during her tenure at British Wheelchair Basketball. The sport is in such an incredible place,
and to be trusted with its custodianship whilst they recruit their next CEO is a challenge I am
very much looking forward to.
“Lisa and her team have affected ground-breaking change for a parasport in the UK,
delivering time after time against the sports ambitious strategic plan. It will be a privilege to
lead the BWB team, and work with the elite athletes and grassroots membership to see this
hard work come to fruition.”
Chair of Board, Jules Parke-Robinson added to Jo’s comments:
“As a Board it is vital that we keep the momentum that Lisa created during her time at British
Wheelchair Basketball. We are hugely proud of where the sport currently is and look forward
to welcoming Jo to the team. To have an individual of Jo’s sporting calibre steer the ship
whilst we are recruiting for our next CEO, gives us the confidence that the sport is in safe
hands.
“Jo knows sport inside out; she understands and shares our passion to see our grassroots
clubs thrive and membership grow. She is also acutely aware that we need to bring the
participants of our sport on our transformation journey with us and she is excellently placed
to champion and embed the amazing programmes and initiatives that Lisa has initiated over
the last four years.”
