It has today been confirmed by the UK Sport and Institute Group that Mike Cavendish has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).
Mike’s career is steeped in performance sport expertise. Since 2018, he has been the Performance Director of British Triathlon overseeing sustained success across two Olympic and Paralympic Cycles, including the return of 14 Olympic and Paralympic medals and countless memorable performances which will live long in the memory of the British public.
Before joining British Triathlon, Mike was the Deputy Performance Director at UK Athletics where he was responsible for the strategic delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic World Class Programmes and the operational delivery of prep camps and major competitions across successive Olympic and Paralympic cycles. As well as being a proven performance sport leader, Mike is a sports scientist by trade with a background in physiology and a strong history of working within multidisciplinary teams. Throughout his career, he has also taken on numerous other leadership roles within the Olympic and Paralympic community in the UK including on the strategic group of the Performance Directors Forum, on the British Olympic Association Team Leader Working Group and as a Non Executive Director on the Board of ParalympicsGB.
Alongside Mike’s appointment, it can also be confirmed today that Karen Roberts will also join the UKSI this summer as Athlete Services Director. This new role will ensure that athletes are at the heart of the new approach to performance support services being driven by the UKSI. Karen joins the UKSI from British Judo where she was most recently Development Director but has also held roles leading the World Class Programme as Head of Performance Operations and as Team Leader for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Karen, who has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Brunel University where she later worked in a research leadership position, is also an Olympian and a former European, World and Commonwealth medallist.
Commenting on Mike’s appointment, Rachel Baillache, Interim Chair of the UKSI said:
“I warmly congratulate Mike on his very well deserved appointment. He joins at a really exciting time for the UK Sport and Institute Group as, in partnership with the National Governing Bodies of sport, we are embarking on a significant change programme to execute a new strategy for Olympic and Paralympic system performance support which will drive competitive advantage for British athletes.
“Mike’s extensive leadership experience in Olympic and Paralympic sport means he is perfectly placed to join the UKSI this summer at such a crucial time in the lead up to LA 2028. He will lead the organisation into this exciting new era and will be responsible for driving the new performance support services strategy which places a laser like focus on enabling British athletes to reach their full potential when it matters the most at LA 2028, French Alps 2030, Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”
Sally Munday, CEO UK Sport and Institute Group said:
“We are delighted to welcome Mike to his new role as Managing Director of the UKSI. Mike is a perfect fit for the role having spent his whole career at the cutting edge of performance sport. He also knows how crucial the services provided by the UKSI are to driving competitive advantage for British athletes to enable them to achieve their potential on the biggest stage at Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“As UK Sport and the UKSI work even more closely together as one group, I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work with Mike as he leads the UKSI into a new era in which the organisation will play a critical role in enhancing the competitive advantage of British athletes both now and into the future.”
Mike Cavendish said:
“It is a huge honour to have the opportunity to lead the UKSI at this crucial time in its impressive history.
“Throughout my time involved in Olympic and Paralympic sport, I have seen first-hand the huge contribution that the services provided by the UKSI make to enabling British athletes to deliver their best on the world stage. I have also been lucky enough to work closely with very many of the hugely talented practitioners who are at the heart of everything that is good about the UKSI.
“I know that supporting our practitioners to develop and improve those services – making them fit for the future – will be absolutely critical to enhancing the competitive advantage of British athletes in an increasingly competitive Olympic and Paralympic international landscape. I am incredibly excited to have the chance to play my part in making that happen.”
Commenting on her appointment as the UKSI’s new Athlete Services Director, Karen Roberts said:
“I am delighted to be joining the UKSI at such an important time. Athletes are rightly at the centre of our Olympic and Paralympic community in the UK, and I am really pleased that this role will enable me to play a key part in ensuring that the services the UKSI provides to Olympic and Paralympic athletes are of the very highest quality, supporting them to deliver their best on the world stage. I am really looking forward to working with very talented colleagues throughout the UKSI to deliver this ambition.”
Ruth Daniels, CEO of British Triathlon said:
“While I am naturally disappointed to be losing our Performance Director during the LA 2028 World Class Programme cycle, Mike leaves with my congratulations on his appointment to lead the UKSI. Mike is a first-class performance sport leader, and he has been critical to the Olympic and Paralympic success that British triathletes have enjoyed over the last 8 years.
“Whilst we are sad to see such a great colleague leave British Triathlon, it is good news that not only is his appointment a vote of confidence in the strength of our own World Class Programmes, but also that the wider Olympic and Paralympic system will now benefit from his substantial experience and expertise. We wish him all the very best in his new role and look forward to working with him as UK Sport and the UKSI move forward with their strategic ambitions. Mike will be working through an orderly transition as we immediately look to recruit a new Performance Director.”