The Board of Paddle UK has announced today (Monday 2 December) the appointment of Nick Donald as the new Chair for the organisation.
Nick will be formally presented to the Annual General Meeting for approval in March 2025 in accordance with the Paddle UK constitution and will succeed current Chair, Professor John Coyne CBE, on the conclusion of his term of office.
During an open and transparent recruitment process, supported by McBride Sport, the role received considerable interest. From the final shortlist the recruitment panel and Board were unanimous in selecting Nick as the new Chair.
Nick has been on the Board of Paddle UK since March 2022 and is chair of the Finance & Audit Committee. He is also a member of the Finance Commission of the International Canoe Federation.
Involved in sport all of his life, as a player, a volunteer and as a parent, Nick has been successful in bringing to all the sports the benefits of his professional experience and his personal passion.
Nick was previously the senior independent director of England Squash for six years and is a former director of Leicester Tigers rugby club.
He is currently Chair of Table Tennis England which delivers the GB Table Tennis programme and he sits on the board of the joint venture company, which together with World Table Tennis, is delivering a series of major events, including the world team championships in London in 2026.
A chartered accountant, Nick spent nearly 30 years in a customer facing role with the HSBC Group. As head of UK Equity Capital Markets he provided corporate finance advice to many of the UK’s leading companies.
Speaking about his appointment Nick Donald said:
“I am delighted to be appointed Chair elect of Paddle UK and look forward to working closely with my fellow board colleagues to build upon the successful transformation of the organisation which has occurred under John Coyne’s leadership.
“We represent a diverse paddling community and through the evolution of our Stronger Together Strategy we have a wonderful opportunity to develop further. Not just in our sport, to empower, support and grow our disciplines, but also to serve the wider paddling community and optimise our impact for the benefit of our members and stakeholders.
“While it is with a heavy heart that I will be standing down as Chair of Table Tennis England, I have, over the two and a half years that I have sat on the Board of Paddle UK, been truly inspired by a sport which delivers adventure, elite winning performance, fun and friendship.
“I will not lose sight of these attributes and look forward to deepening my engagement with the paddling community to lead an effective Board and drive purposeful governance.”
Professor John Coyne CBE will complete a full eight year term as the Chair of British Canoeing / Paddle UK in March 2025. Speaking about his time as Chair and his successor he said:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility of working with the incredible paddling community as chair of British Canoeing and then Paddle UK as we introduced our new identity to reflect the breadth of the constituency that we serve.
“I can look back on a very fulfilling period and will leave with a passion for paddling and paddlers that I shall retain. I have every confidence that Paddle UK will be brilliantly served by its new Chair who has already made a significant contribution in his current role.
“Nick will bring energy, commitment, and a fresh approach whilst also being very familiar with the paddling landscape at home and internationally. He will have the opportunity to work with a new Board and in new ways following recent constitutional changes agreed by members.
“I wish him and the organisation every success.”
Following the General Meeting held last month, members have approved the Board’s recommendations to adopt important constitutional changes, focused on two primary areas:
To amend the way English nominated Directors are elected to the Board to enhance member representation. This change will also include the removal of all references to the now-defunct English Forum. We will establish a new Paddle UK Paddle England Assembly, to ensure key voices across England are represented at Board level.
To replace the role of President with a Patron, serving as a lead ambassador to advance the strategic priorities of Paddle UK, thereby elevating the profile of paddlesport for the benefit of all members and the wider paddling community.
With both motions passed by members in excess of the required 75% majority of votes cast, a recruitment process for a new elected director to represent England, and two independent directors will commence later this month.
The draft minutes of the General Meeting are available HERE.
About Paddle UK
Paddle UK is the national governing body for paddling and encompasses a broad range of activities both competitive and recreational.
It selects GB teams in 10 disciplines, two of which are Olympic and one of which is Paralympic. It supports an individual membership of 75,000 as well as 1,000 affiliated clubs and centres. It is a champion for the environment in which paddlers enjoy their blue spaces.
The past year has seen unprecedented competitive success with four Olympic canoe slalom medals, eight Paralympic medals and a further 145 internationally. The new Chair will take up his role in an organisation with momentum under the leadership of CEO Ashley Metcalfe.