Birmingham 2022 chief executive appointed after clearing interim hurdle
Ian Reid has been confirmed as the chief executive for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC), the team organising the largest event ever to be staged in the West Midlands.
Reid was the chief financial officer for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, working on that edition of the event for more than six years.
Following the 2014 Games he was appointed to lead the commercial finance team and join the board of Funkin Cocktails at AG Barr.
Other previous roles include working as the Glasgow Housing Association’s chief financial planner.
Reid, who has held the post of interim chief executive with the Birmingham Organising Committee since May last year, said: “I am delighted to have been confirmed as chief executive officer for the organising committee and it’s an absolute honour to have been selected to lead the team.
“Over the past eight months it’s been obvious to me that people from across Birmingham and the West Midlands are excited about the fantastic opportunities that hosting the Games provides. I’m determined that we will deliver an event that the city, the region and the whole country can be proud of and I’m committed to continuing to work closely with all of our partners to achieve this aim.”
John Crabtree, chair of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Ian has accepted the role of CEO. To have someone leading the organising committee, who has first-hand experience of organising an event of this scale, has already been a massive advantage for us.
“For a major international sporting event like this, it’s essential that we have someone of Ian’s calibre leading the team. He played a crucial role in the success of Glasgow and he knows exactly what needs to be done, so I’m delighted to have his continued involvement.”
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will feature competition in 17 sports over 11 days in venues across Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond, as well as a programme of cultural and business events, and the organising committee is working in partnership with Birmingham City Council, The West Midlands Combined Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Team England and the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Reid, whose contract with the OC is until March 2023, has appointed seven people to new roles in recent weeks.
The new recruits include Sarah Harrod and Jigna Karia, who have both joined the finance section.
Anita Jones has joined the organising committee as compliance manager, and Sarah Dickson has been appointed as the organising committee’s media and PR manager.
Another new recruit with significant experience of working on sports events is Vicky Roberts, the OC’s new operations project co-ordinator, who has previously worked for England Netball, Swim England and UK Athletics. Manjeeta Sonik and Kesh Ladwa have both joined the workforce section of the organising committee.
