Nigel Walker OBE to depart the EIS after 11 trailblazing years
Nigel Walker OBE is set to leave his role as National Director of the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in the autumn, following 11 years in charge of the high-performance institute.
A former track and field athlete and international rugby union player, Walker has led the EIS through a decade of significant change and was awarded the OBE for his services to sport in 2019.
During Walker’s time in charge, the EIS has grown exponentially from offering more traditional sports support such as medicine and physiotherapy, into a wider range of services such as biomechanics, performance innovation, performance lifestyle, and mental health. More recently, Walker has overseen the organisation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which included supporting sports and athletes in their safe return to training and competition ahead of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Walker, who was also previously head of BBC Sport Wales, will be joining the Welsh Rugby Union as Performance Director later in the year.
The English Institute of Sport (EIS) provides outstanding support services that enables sports and athletes to excel. A network of around 400 world-leading experts and practitioners in science, medicine, technology and engineering, the EIS works in partnership with sports to put people at the heart of extraordinary performance.
Nigel Walker OBE said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the EIS for the past 11 years and play a part in the incredible successes that have been achieved by the sports and athletes that we work with. I am extremely proud of the outstanding work that the EIS does and the team of almost 400 EIS people, who work tirelessly and selflessly to support sports and athletes.
“The truly outstanding memories of London and Rio will live long in the memory as I witnessed Team GB and ParalympicsGB elevate themselves to second in the medal table.
“I look forward to next few months and have no doubt that our sports and athletes will make us proud in Tokyo. This role is truly special and I am confident that the EIS will attract a number of excellent applicants before identifying my eventual successor.”
EIS Chair John Dowson paid tribute to Walker: “Nigel has made such an amazing contribution to the enduring success of the EIS, and to British sport. Over the last 11 years he has guided the EIS through considerable change and worked hard to ensure our partnerships with the sports who we are here to support and our other key stakeholders, UK Sport, the BOA and the BPA to name just a few, provide mutual benefit and enhance the system.
“I wish Nigel all the very best in his new role with the WRU, which I know is very close to his heart and his roots in sport.
“It goes without saying that his will be incredibly big boots to fill. I am therefore very pleased that Nigel will continue to lead the EIS throughout the Games period and beyond and also play an important role over the coming months in helping us think about transition.”
“I am taking over an EIS Board that has been in place a number of years, as has the Senior Leadership Team, so I am confident that the leadership of the EIS is in stable hands, even without Nigel at the helm. We will shortly be initiating steps to recruit his successor.”
Walker will leave the EIS in the autumn.