Chief Executive confirmed for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee

Ian Reid has been confirmed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC), the team organising the largest event ever to be staged in the West Midlands.

The 41-year-old from Kilmacolm, near Glasgow, 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 plc. Other previous roles include working as the Glasgow Housing Association’s Chief Financial Planner. 

Ian, 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.” 

Ian Reid’s appointment was confirmed by John Crabtree, Chair of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee who 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.  

All of the partners welcomed the news of Ian’s appointment and Mims Davies, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:

I was delighted to congratulate Ian today on his appointment as Chief Executive of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee. Ian brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role of chief executive and will be a great asset to the committee and the games. He will play a key part in delivering a fantastic Games that showcases the best of Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK to a global audience." 

Ian, whose contract with the OC is until March 2023, has wasted no time in building his team, having appointed seven local people to new roles in recent weeks. 

The new recruits include Sarah Harrod and Jigna Karia, who have both joined the finance section. Originally from Newcastle, Sarah now lives in Halesowen and has been appointed as Head of Financial Management. Jigna, who is from Kings Heath in Birmingham has been recruited as Accountant and joins from property developer St. Modwen Properties PLC. 

Anita Jones has joined the Organising Committee as Compliance Manager and is from Birmingham but her previous roles have taken her as far afield as New Zealand, where she worked for St John’s Ambulance. 

Sarah Dickson, who lives in Solihull, has been appointed as the Organising Committee’s Media and PR Manager, after completing her role as Head of Communications for last year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships. And another new recruit with significant experience of working on sports events is Vicky Roberts from Sutton Coldfield, the OC’s new Operations Project Co-ordinator, who’s previously worked for England Netball, Swim England and UK Athletics. 

Manjeeta Sonik from Great Barr and Kesh Ladwa, who was born in Birmingham and now lives in Warwickshire, have both joined the workforce section of the Organising Committee. Manjeeta has taken on the role of HR Reporting and Systems Analyst and Kesh is the Organising Committee’s new Strategic Resourcing Manager, leading the OC’s current recruitment drive. 

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, said:

Having been a part of the Birmingham 2022 team since the honour of Host City passed to us from the Gold Coast, Ian already knows what is needed to deliver a great Games here. His permanent appointment will ensure the progress already made is continued – and as the Organising Committee is likely to include more than 1,000 employees, I’m sure that those seven local people that have been recruited so far will be joined by many others very soon.”  

Today’s announcement was also welcomed by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, who said:

Hosting the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will bring huge economic benefits to the West Midlands region including providing local people with the opportunity of new employment and the chance for skills development. That’s clearly already being demonstrated by Ian’s appointments to the Organising Committee so far.”

The Organising Committee is currently recruiting to several senior officer roles and the next vacancy to be advertised by the OC is that of Head of Engagement and Legacy. A crucial role which will see the successful candidate develop, implement and lead on the Games engagement strategy, with the role holder also taking on responsibility for legacy planning and delivery and leading on cross partner legacy initiatives. 

This brand new role will be advertised shortly at www.birmingham2002.com/jobs and you can also keep up to date with all the current vacancies by following the Games on Twitter or Facebook or by following the official Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games page on Linked In. 

ENDS