Candidates' Election Statements
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Candidates’ Election Statements Election of Board Directors 2012 C2777_P2 Election of Board Directors 2012 Julia Bracewell OBE Address: 31 Newlands, Kirknewton, Midlothian, EH27 8LR Occupation and position held within employing organisation (if applicable): Solicitor British Fencing (BF) Membership Number: 119878 Standing to be elected as: Board Director Fencing Experience & BF Service Olympic Women’s Foilist: Represented GB at Olympic (Barcelona 92), World Championship (90) and European Levels (91). Winner Commonwealth bronze medals for Scotland (86 and 90). Qualified FIE referee 1990 Responsible for fencing being included in the Inaugural School Games in Glasgow Started Bristol University Fencing Club, led teams to UAU finals 3 years in a row and organised foreign fencing trips. No previous positions in BF, but Chair of Sportscotland and board member of UK Sport (2005 to 2008), Board member GB Sports Council and Sport England (1993 to 2001) Fencing Family – Daughter of National Fencing Coach for Scotland Aims & plans if elected to the Board To turn BF into world leading governing body in terms of performance sport and governance. Oversee planning, development and implementation of a world class performance fencing plan which: (a) produces Olympic Champions (b) identifies and nurtures talent in partnership with the Home Countries (c) develops strong club system (d) produces and retains world class elite and performance level coaches (e) produces world renowned officials and referees Work to ensure executive and board work together for the benefit of fencers. Enhance the standing and reputation of the board with fencers and external bodies. The skills and attributes that you believe you would bring to the Board if elected Ambition for fencing Objectivity Understanding and love of fencing 13 years’ experience at the highest level of sports administration, sports politics and strategic planning across many sports. Understanding of how grass roots, development and performance fit together and the need to work in partnership. Professional – Corporate lawyer (former partner in US law firm, responsible for European growth strategy which 2 Election of Board Directors 2012 took firm from 7 to 100 staff in 3 locations and won various industry awards). Strong people skills – influencer and negotiator Member Governance Review Group for Scottish Hockey (full UKSport audit) and Scottish Athletics; Strong network of contacts. Names of 15 nominating members of BF: 1. Richard Kruse 2. Jonathan Willis 3. James Williams 4. Ronald Velden 5. Peter Jacobs 6. Keith Smith 7. Georgina Usher 8. John Troiano 9. Kirk Zavieh 10. Sean Walton 11. Paul Neil Maclachan 12. Robert Jamieson 13. Ray Stafford 14. Julian Ghosh 15. Sarah Paveley Stuart Laws Address: 39 Canterbury Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 6QW Occupation and position held within employing organisation (if applicable): Civil Servant (SEO) British Fencing (BF) Membership Number: 39708 Standing to be elected as: Board Director Fencing Experience & BF Service I have fenced all 3 weapons for 23 years at a number of clubs across the UK, competing regularly at local and national level and on occasion internationally at FIE Satellite events. In recent years I’ve concentrated on Epee, fencing at LTFC where I am the current chairman and I’ve also been a long standing and active member of the Civil Service Fencing Union. More recently I volunteered to join BF’s Grow Group in order to help identify the best means to support UK clubs for all 3 weapons and increase general participation and retention within the sport. Aims & plans if elected to the Board I have always believed that fencing is far greater than the sum of its parts and it saddens me greatly that our sport has failed to deliver in so many areas. Fencing can only reach its potential with solid foundations, support from and for; members, clubs, coaches, parents, volunteers and strong leadership from the BFA working and interacting with its membership to improve the sport as a whole, rather than sacrificing many of its ideals in the pursuit of World Class Medals. If elected I will work to ensure the needs of the membership are foremost in our future planning. The skills and attributes that you believe you would bring to the Board if elected 3 Election of Board Directors 2012 I have been a civil servant for the past 22 years, working primarily with the MOD on the successful delivery of numerous initiatives, projects and programmes. My work to date has enabled me to develop experience in both leading projects in the public sector and in partnership with the private sector, I have also learnt how to troubleshoot and fix underperforming projects. If elected this background gives me the knowledge and experience to ensure future projects are balanced between the requirements and drivers associated with private sector delivery, whilst adhering to the constraints and rules of the public sector. Names of 15 nominating members of BF: 1. Neil Graham 2. Tim Buzwell 3. Nadja Stamselberg 4. Mark Richardson 5. Neil McKinna 6. Howard West 7. Steve Roose 8. Ben Widdicombe 9. Tristan Lane 10. Vladimir Meshkov 11. Kate Smith 12. Carlo Pacifico 13. Corinna Lawrence 14. Tom Bennett 15. Pinar Orge Frank S. L. Mills Address: 7 Audley Mead, Bradwell, Milton Keynes, MK13 9BD Occupation and position held within employing organisation (if applicable): Retired British Fencing (BF) Membership Number: 43753 Standing to be elected as: Board Director Fencing Experience & BF Service I became a member of British Fencing in the 1960s and after a fencing break of 18 years, joined again in 1995. I became a veterans committee member at that time and have been Chairman of the BVF for the last 4 years. I have fenced in numerous representative GB Veteran matches, been selected for 5 World Championships and fenced in 6 European Championships at foil and epee. I have organised numerous national veteran competitions, undertaken team management of the GB Veteran squads for European and World Championships and in 2011, we topped the country medal table at both. Aims & plans if elected to the Board To use the business skills acquired over a diverse range of international companies and charities, with the aim of obtaining significant and long term sponsorships and to use my fencing management capabilities to be a key member of the Board in producing a fencer development programme to enable British Fencing to achieve better results internationally, particularly to allow British Fencing to develop a programme aimed at achieving medals at the 2016 Olympic Games. I also believe that British Fencing needs to involve more grass root members in the decision making and fencer development process. 4 Election of Board Directors 2012 The skills and attributes that you believe you would bring to the Board if elected My career has been spent at senior manager and director level in marketing with international companies and charities. These include Unilever, Rothmans, Licensed Victuallers National Homes, Action for Sick Children and Parker Hannifin on brand promotion, advertising & publicity, research, event organisation and fund raising to a high level through obtaining sponsorship from international companies e.g. achieving a target of £1m plus each year for 11 years with L.V.N.H. The organising skills utilised in my business life have served me well for numerous fencing events, continue to do so and would be usefully employed as a British Fencing Board Member. Name of 15 nominating members of BF: 1. Andrew Brown 2. Silvia Earl 3. Vanessa Hendra 4. Moya McNamara 5. John Crouch 6. Geoffrey Silverman 7. Marish Silverman 8. Jenny Morris 9. Carl Morris 10. Jane Clayton 11. Lawrence Burr O.B.E. 12. Jonathan Stanbury 13. Peter Baron 14. David Sweeney 15. Gillian Aghajan Graham Rene Paul Address: Uplands House, Upton, OX15 6HJ Occupation and position held within employing organisation (if applicable): Company Director British Fencing (BF) Membership Number: 2775 Standing to be elected as: Board Director Fencing Experience & BF Service I competed in 4 Olympics and was team captain in another. I represented GB at foil, epee and sabre, and was British champion at both foil and epee a total of six times. I was member of the Foil committee and then International committee from 1967 until end of 2011, and have served a term on the Board. I developed the points system now used for the British fencing ranking schemes. I have won several World veterans championships at both foil and epee. I qualified as an International referee at foil and epee. I coached for a season. Aims & plans if elected to the Board 5 Election of Board Directors 2012 I will work with fellow directors to achieve a consensus on issues. Rather than coming with pre-conceived ideas, I will make decisions based on their merits. Some recent Board decisions will require reviewing. I will try to ensure that an effective CEO is appointed, preferably from the fencing community. Fencing has historically has been run by volunteers and I will try to ensure that the introduction of more paid staff does not destroy this ethos. I would like to expand the number of our top coaches, by training new ones, and facilitating our retiring top fencers going into coaching. The skills and attributes that you believe you would bring to the Board if elected I have been fencing for over 50 years and have a great deal of experience in competing, training, coaching, and organisation, across all three weapons, as well as having been a fencing dad. My broad experience means that I will not be biased towards one particular weapon. I have an analytical logical mind, that will enable me to look at the issues that the Board needs to tackle objectively and hence come to the correct decision. I am retired from full time working and hence will be able to devote the required time to Board activities.