RYA Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is comprised of a mix of non-executive and executive directors and it meets regularly to conduct its business

The role of the Board is to supervise the management of the Association’s business and to discharge the responsibilities of the directors under the Companies Act and also in compliance with the Code for Sports Governance, which sets out the levels of transparency, accountability and financial integrity that are required from those bodies that receive Government and National Lottery Funding.  RYA Policy Forming Committees report directly to the Board.

The Board will ordinarily comprise four Nominated Directors appointed by the Members and three Independent Directors appointed by the Board who are appointed on the basis of personal competencies, through an open recruitment process. The Chief Executive and Finance Director sit on the Board ex officio.  Members of the Board ordinarily serve a four year term.

The Board’s main duties are

  • Develop long term Strategic Plans
  • Approve the Annual Operating Plan
  • Approve operating budgets
  • Set subscription rates
  • Supervise risk management and safety matters for the Association.

Its workings are reported to the members of the Association through the Directors’ Report in the annual report and accounts document and at the Annual General Meeting.  

Current Membership of the Board

Prof Sir Michael Arthur - Independent Chair

Corinne Cunningham - Nominated Director

Misha Engineer - Independent Director

Polly Handford – Independent Director

Ronan Harte - Senior Independent Director

Adam Jay - Nominated Director

Fiona Kidd - Board Appointed Director

Duncan Rutherford - Nominated Director

Pip Woods - Nominated Director

Dave Strain - Finance Director 

Sara Sutcliffe - Chief Executive

Supporting information

Current Board member profiles

The RYA Articles of Association

The RYA Board Regulations

A Code for SportsGovernance