Rachel Baillache, Senior Independent Director at the LTA and Rupen Shah, formerly Chief Financial Officer at the Football Foundation, will join UK Sport’s Board in September on 4 year terms.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, said: “A massive congratulations to Rachel and Rupen for their recent appointments to the UK Sport Board.
“Both bring a wealth of experience from within sport and wider industry and as a result, I’m sure they will both provide invaluable insight to the UK Sport Board. Having only recently embarked on delivering an ambitious 10 year Strategic Plan, it’s great to be able to benefit from such a high calibre of individuals.
I look forward to welcoming Rachel and Rupen to their first Board meeting in the coming weeks.”
Rachel Baillache was a partner at KPMG for over twenty years where she served as an audit partner and for eight years, she was a member of KPMG International’s Global Executive, serving as the global head of people, performance and culture and as the executive responsible for global communications.
In her current role at the LTA she chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and is also the LTA Board sponsor for Inclusion and Diversity. Rachel is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Somerset County Cricket Club as well as Chair of the mental health charity Minds@Work.
Rachel Baillache said: “I am excited to be joining the UK Sport Board and playing my part working towards the Greatest Decade of Extraordinary sporting moments. I look forward to building on the success of our brilliant Olympic and Paralympic athletes who inspire communities up and down the country.”
Rupen Shah qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG, spending several years working strategically with major clients. He went on to become the Chief Financial Officer of the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity set up by the Government, The FA and the Premier League.
He continues his charitable work to tackle inequalities through trustee roles in sport and beyond, including Women In Sport and The Legal Education Foundation.
Rupen Shah said: “I am thrilled to be joining the UK Sport Board and am looking forward to getting started. I have witnessed first hand the impact sport has on local communities having grown up a stone’s throw away from Wembley Stadium. I truly believe in the power of sport and the transformational effect it can have on people’s lives and society.”