The appointment of three new Independent Non-Executive Directors to the Board of Skateboard GB marks an important milestone for the organisation and reflects something we are increasingly seeing across the sport sector. Organisations are moving beyond traditional governance profiles and actively seeking leaders who can broaden perspective, challenge ways of thinking and bring new insight into the boardroom.
In keeping with Skateboard GB’s forward-thinking and innovative approach, we were tasked with identifying individuals who could strengthen the Board’s capability for its next phase of development. The result was the appointment of Marta Phillips OBE, Natalie Dunman and Sarah Mortiboys, three highly accomplished leaders whose collective experience spans governance, finance, public service, elite performance, partnerships and social impact.
Their appointments will strengthen Skateboard GB’s governance capability while bringing valuable external perspectives that will help shape the organisation’s strategic direction during a period of continued growth and development. More importantly, they demonstrate the value of approaching Board recruitment as a collective exercise: understanding not only the skills required for each individual role, but the overall mix of experience, judgement and perspective needed around the table.
A partnership built on leadership excellence
The significance of these appointments was captured by Alex Jordan, Chair of Skateboard GB, who said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Marta, Natalie and Sarah to the Board. Each brings exceptional experience, insight and passion that will help guide Skateboard GB through its next phase of growth.”
“We were specifically seeking to broaden our Board’s diversity of thought to support the next phase of our strategy. We tasked GatenbySanderson with finding candidates from different professional backgrounds who could bring new skills and fresh thinking, and we received interest from candidates we would never have been able to reach through our own channels.”
– Alex Jordan, Chair of Skateboard GB
For us, this speaks to the value of looking beyond a traditional appointment criteria and focusing on leadership capability, cultural alignment and long-term organisational impact. We find that the strongest Boards are built not simply through individual expertise, but through a combination of cognitively diverse perspectives that strengthen governance, support executive teams and help organisations navigate future challenges with confidence.
As search specialists working across sport, we are seeing a clear shift in what organisations are looking for from Board appointments. Strong governance remains important, but many governing bodies are equally focused on future capability: finding leaders who can bring independent challenge, navigate complexity and offer perspectives that may not already exist around the Board table.
What we are seeing in the market
Strong governance remains fundamental, but the role of a Board today extends far beyond compliance and assurance. The most effective Boards we work with create the conditions for organisational success in the long term. They provide challenge when needed, support executive leadership through complexity and help organisations remain focused on long-term outcomes rather than short-term pressures. In Skateboard GB’s case, that meant identifying candidates from different professional backgrounds who could contribute fresh thinking while remaining aligned to the organisation’s clearly articulated ambitions and values.
The search therefore focused not only on technical expertise, but on the additional perspectives Skateboard GB would need around the table as it continued to grow. That included leaders able to understand organisational complexity, contribute independent judgement and bring experience from different environments without losing sight of the purpose and culture of the sport.
Across the sport sector more generally, leaders and Boards are operating in an environment shaped by evolving participant expectations, shifting funding models, increased scrutiny, technological change and growing demands around inclusion, integrity and impact. Many are also leading organisations through significant transformation, partnership working and structural change, placing even greater importance on effective governance and leadership.
The value of cognitive diversity around the Board table
What stands out about these appointments is not simply the calibre of the individuals involved, but the breadth of experience they collectively bring.
- Marta Phillips OBE brings more than 40 years’ experience across finance, governance and public service leadership. Having held senior roles across government, health, higher education and social housing, she offers significant expertise in organisational stewardship, accountability and sustainable growth.
- Natalie Dunman brings deep expertise in high-performance sport through her experience across British Bobsleigh, British Skeleton, UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport. Her background strengthens Skateboard GB’s insight into talent development, performance systems and environments capable of delivering success at the highest level.
- Sarah Mortiboys has built an impressive career across sport, charities and community organisations, leading complex partnerships, large-scale programmes and social impact initiatives. Her ability to bring people together around a common purpose will be invaluable as Skateboard GB continues to expand its reach and influence.
From our perspective, these appointments demonstrate the importance of looking at a Board collectively rather than through individual appointments in isolation. The objective was not to recruit three similar leaders with different job titles, but to build a complementary mix of experience, insight and perspective. When viewed together, the appointments strengthen Skateboard GB’s ability to navigate its next phase of development.
At GatenbySanderson, we see first-hand that effective Board recruitment is about more than filling vacancies. It is about understanding the organisation’s future needs and identifying people who can bring the right balance of challenge, support and judgement. Broadening the talent pool enables organisations to test the market properly, reach candidates beyond existing networks and build leadership teams that are equipped to meet complex future challenges.
Leadership appointments that create long term value
One of the reasons we particularly value working on Board appointments is that the impact extends far beyond the recruitment process itself. The most successful appointments are those where individual expertise combines with organisational need. We often talk about leadership impact, whether appointing a Chair, Chief Executive or Non-Executive Director, the real measure of success is not the appointment itself. It is the difference that individual goes on to make.
While every organisation’s requirements are different, the principle remains the same: effective appointments strengthen decision-making, broaden perspective and help organisations prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead. That is why understanding both capability and leadership behaviours together is such an important part of appointing Chairs, Non-Executive Directors and senior leaders.
For sport organisations, this matters because Boards are often required to balance commercial ambition, organisational purpose, stakeholder expectations and long-term sustainability in a fast-moving and highly visible sector. Their Board appointments therefore influence far more than governance structures; they shape the quality of challenge around the table, the confidence of funders, partners, athletes and communities, stakeholders and the organisation’s ability to make sound decisions in an environment where expectations are growing and resources balance participation and performance. In a sector where purpose, sustainability and social impact are so closely connected, the right Board mix can help organisations stay ambitious, accountable and responsive to the people and communities they serve.
Supporting the future of sport leadership
The assignment was led by Rebecca Hopkin and Peter Buffoni from GatenbySanderson’s Sport Practice.
The challenges facing sport organisations are becoming increasingly complex. The quality of leadership around the Board table has never been more important. Whether you are appointing a Chair, Chief Executive, Independent Non-Executive Director or senior leadership team member, securing the right leadership capability can be transformative.
To discuss the challenges facing your organisation, connect with our team: sport@gatenbysanderson.com.