EIS welcomes Dr Anna Watkins MBE and Dr Charlotte Cowie as Non-Executive Directors
The English Institute of Sport (EIS) has announced two new appointments to the organisation’s Board.
Dr Anna Watkins MBE and Dr Charlotte Cowie succeed outgoing Board members, Victoria Aggar and Dr Ken van Someren, as Non-Executive Directors.
A double Olympic medallist and two-times world champion in the women’s double sculls, Watkins is the Chief Executive Officer of the British Elite Athletes Association, formerly known as the British Athletes Commission. Following her illustrious sporting career which saw her compete at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, Watkins was awarded an MBE for services to rowing in 2013. A former McKinsey consultant, Watkins has a background in science with a PhD in applied mathematics, and has a particular interest in digital and analytics and sports performance projects.
As Head of Medicine at the Football Association, Cowie is a consultant in sport and exercise medicine with 30 years’ experience working in elite sport. Cowie’s career spans an impressive range of sports, including gymnastics, boxing, taekwondo and tennis, and she also held the role of Medical Officer for Team GB at three Olympic Games. In professional football, Cowie was appointed as the first ever doctor to the England women’s football team, and was Head of Medicine and Sports Science at two Premier League clubs.
English Institute of Sport Chair, John Dowson, said: “I am delighted to welcome Anna and Charlotte to the English Institute of Sport Board. Their skills in sports science and sports medicine, combined with their lived experiences and networks in the elite athlete world, will be invaluable to us as we continue to place people at the heart of extraordinary performance.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to both Victoria and Ken for their valued contribution to the EIS during their terms of office and wish them the very best as they both embrace new challenges.”
Anna Watkins said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be appointed to this role. The EIS was critical to my own sporting success, and I know first-hand the positive impact that the EIS’ world-leading practitioners make in the daily lives of athletes, as well as in the whole high performance sporting system. I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to this organisation. I hope that my perspective as a former athlete, as a current representative of other athletes, and my professional experience in the corporate world will be useful in supporting the EIS in its valuable work.”
Charlotte Cowie said: “I am delighted to be able to join the EIS board; it’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to contribute my knowledge to support Olympic and Paralympic sport in the United Kingdom and to also develop myself in the process.”