Archery GB Governance | Our Board Member Profiles

Victoria Barby

Elected Director

I am fortunate to have found a sport that I love and one which offers different opportunities and experiences for all ages and levels of ability. I am a compound archer who has been a member of Archery GB since 2009. I shoot target, field and 3D archery. I am by no means an elite archer but have had success in each of these disciplines. I have competed for Great Britain 4 times, twice in field archery and twice in 3D archery, I have made the National Tour final, and attended GB Target and Field Squads. In my professional career, I work in Sustainable Development and I am keen to work with Archery GB to make it the most environmentally friendly shooting sport there is. I would also like to use my position on the Board to represent the members of Archery GB, ensuring the diverse needs of the membership are considered in all Board meeting decisions.

Andrew Stanford

Elected Director

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role? I first became involved in archery when I was 11 and my passion hasn’t dwindled in 36 years. I’m still an active archer when I can, as well as Chair of County of Worcester Archery Association, and as Regional Judge I’m frequently seen around the West Midlands including Lilleshall. My day job is Head of Technical Engineering & Safety Compliance Business Unit at Nifes Consulting Group, a multi-disciplinary consultancy firm. I’ve many transferrable skills to complement the current Board, offering an array of management experience within Business Development, Strategy, Statutory/Legal & Regulatory Compliance, Audit, Risk and Health & Safety. What will I bring to this role? Being a strong brand champion, I’m keen to share my skills to promote archery and increase participation, membership and inclusivity across all of our communities. I’ve been honoured to have worked alongside Team UK supporting archery as part of the Invictus UK Trials in Sheffield 2019. As an avid supporter of encouraging our younger generation into the sport, I’m also proud to sponsor a couple of cadets. I feel the role of Independent Board Director would be an exciting opportunity. I would be committed to supporting the team shaping the future of our sport, whilst keeping it safe, fun and inclusive, with a desire to succeed.

Scott Smith

Senior Independent Director and Chair of Audit & Risk Committee

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role: I am a chartered accountant and chief financial officer and Board member with the England and Wales Cricket Board. I have more than two decades of experience in financial leadership across sport, property, construction and consultancy. I’ve worked with blue chip clients across Australasian and international markets. I’ve worked on the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and was the chief financial officer for the Americas Cup, yachting’s biggest prize. I’m also an archer and was actively involved in the Californian field archery scene – and a bit of an adventurer. I’ve climbed Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc and I’ve completed the Four Deserts Race: 24 marathons in 24 days across 620 miles in the Sahara, Gobi, Atacama and the Last Desert in Antarctica. What will I bring to this role: It’s a challenging time for all sports within the UK from both a commercial and participation perspective. I am excited about joining the Archery GB team to help ensure our great sport continues to grow and prosper in this country.

Mark Briegal

Chair and Independent Director

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role: I originally trained as a corporate lawyer, specialising in advising professionals on their businesses. I came to law following a career in banking and industry. I worked for Chase Manhattan Bank where I ran syndicated lending, loans agency and trade finance operations before heading north and setting up my own business, providing consultancy and training to businesses across Europe. I have a degree in Classics from Cambridge University and an MBA from Manchester Business School. I have been involved in sport and sports administration for a long time. I used to row quite competitively but have focused on coaching for many years now and am a qualified Level 2 coach. More recently I qualified as an umpire and am part of the British Rowing Regional Umpiring Committee in the North West. I volunteer at events around the county from local regattas to national championships. I’m a trustee of the Rowing Foundation, which helps gets young and disabled athletes into rowing. I also helped run our local Scout group for many years. What will I bring to this role: Archery is a great sport and it’s an exciting time for us with Tokyo 2020 coming up, supported by great developments at club level. I see the role of the governing body as twofold – first to support the grassroots of the sport and ensure that all archers in the UK get the opportunity to shoot, compete, develop skills and belong to vibrant archery clubs, enjoying a consistently high-quality experience up and down the country. Second, that this feeds into a successful high-performance squad to represent Great Britain on the international stage at the Worlds, Olympics and Paralympics. And these two roles feed into each other. Success on the world stage brings new people into archery and vibrant clubs develop the next generation of high-performance athletes.

Yakoob Ali

Elected Director

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Since 2006 I have been actively involved with a local community archery, where I have made a strong contribution encouraging members to take part in county tournaments, which otherwise they would not have. I am aware of the motivation of such clubs and their members. I have a passion for archery and the development of archers. As such, I have a been a coach since 2015 and have achieved the role of County Coach. I have taken on the role of CCO within Leicestershire & Rutland where I will continue to work with the development of coaching and archers. I have strong business and management skills which will make a positive contribution to the organisation. With extensive experience of managing projects, solving problems, and working with teams to effect change, demonstrated by some of the large-scale projects I have implemented. With my knowledge of business and participation with community clubs I hope to bring a unique insight to the Archery GB board.

Neil Armitage

Chief Executive

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I joined archery GB initially as an independent non-exec & Chair of Audit Committee. I was then asked to sit in as interim CEO to oversee the development of the 4 year strategy and resolve a number of governance shortcomings. I was appointed as full time CEO in September 2016. I have previously worked at Board level 2001-2015 in the (heavily regulated) financial services sector and run my own consultancy business advising on business strategy, governance, marketing and business development. I have a sound background of corporate governance and risk particularly on board restructuring and helping re-build executive and non-executive teams. I have experience in business development, marketing, distribution, produce development, operations and strategy. I am relatively new to the world of sport although I am climbing quickly up a steep learning curve. My academic background is as follows: Exeter University; Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Manchester Business School Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing (FCIM) Languages: Reasonable French and a little German which has facilitated the development of several businesses outside of the UK and coordinate the activities of cross-border teams.

Steve Tully

Elected Director

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role: I have many years of experience leading and developing a highly successful archery club in Surrey and I have worked with many influential people both within and outside our sport in order to help the club grow and to improve our sports public profile. In the commercial world I have directed a number of successful large complex projects from inception to completion and I have the drive and determination to turn a vision into reality. What will I bring to this role: I am passionate about grass roots archery and continuing the growth of our sport from a strong bedrock of clubs around the country. I will ensure that the Board and the Executive are continually reminded of the needs of 21st century club archers, whilst working to achieve realistic strategies to grow our sport in line with Government and Sport England guidance and funding opportunities.

Lizzy Rees

Elected Director

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role: As a member of the GB & N.I Field Archery Team, I have nine senior international caps and a world championship title, all of which have allowed me to gain a detailed understanding of the competition side of archery. Academically, I have a 1st class B.Sc. reading Sports Performance Analysis from the University of Bath, a course which I chose to specifically focus around the sport of archery. Recently awarded my County Coach qualification, I also have a great understanding and interest in the development of coaching. What will I bring to this role: As the youngest member of the board, I hope to bring new and innovative ideas which will adhere to the needs of the younger members, those who are arguably the future of the sport. I will encourage the acknowledgement and acceptance of archery in all of its forms, maintaining the traditions of the sport, but encouraging its future development. Finally, I will endeavour to bridge the communication gap between the board and its members, ensuring the wishes of the membership are at the forefront of the board’s decision making.

Julie Ryan

Elected Director, Safeguarding Champion

Elisabeth Bellamy

Independent Director

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What have I done that qualifies me for this role? I have been a solicitor for many years, practising in the UK and in Singapore, and was the managing partner of a law firm for eleven years. I was a member of the Law Society’s Professional Standards and Ethics Committee for over 6 years and am now a non-executive Director of the Office for Legal Complaints which oversees the Legal Ombudsman. I have been involved in other organisations which rely heavily on volunteer support including being the membership secretary of a swimming club and holding various roles within Girl Guiding. What will I bring to this role? I have a particular interest in archery as my son took up the sport as a teenager and now, as an adult, has competed at a senior level. I understand the challenges faced in trying to balance the competing interests of different types of archers – recognising that archery is both a hobby and a sport. I am a firm believer in fairness and openness and want to ensure that those principles are embedded throughout Archery GB.