Swim England begins recruitment process for new chief executive

Swim England has begun the recruitment process to find its new chief executive.

Jane Nickerson has held the role since 2017 but announced in February she would be retiring at the end of 2023.

She will stand down on 31 December having spent more than 25 years with the national governing body.

Global recruitment specialists Perrett Laver are leading the search for Jane’s successor.

An online advert published by Perret Laver states the ideal candidate will be joining Swim England at ‘an exciting and transformative juncture in our development’.

The post reads: “The next CEO of Swim England will have the opportunity to not only build on our achievements but navigate us through a fast-changing socio-political climate. 

“They will have a unique platform to shape our culture positively, set precedent as to what effective safeguarding and welfare structures look like and creatively map out how best to support the lifeblood of our aquatic sports – our people.

Strong ambassador

“Our new strategy, Access Aquatics, will be launched later this year with a focus on governance, inclusion, and tackling inequalities. 

“A key strategy commitment will be ensuring that the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of participants is at the heart of everything Swim England do.

“The next CEO will lead the Senior Leadership Team to deliver on our strategic priorities, exercise ultimate financial and staffing responsibility, manage stakeholder relationships effectively and be a strong ambassador for Swim England and the aquatics sector across spheres of influence.

“To succeed in this role, candidates will need to evidence a track record of strategic and inclusive leadership, sound knowledge of governance in the sports context, and exceptional interpersonal, influencing, and team-working skills. 

“They will have led multi-disciplinary teams, driven transformational change, and be a proactive relationship builder – capable of creating a strong public profile and embedding themselves within national bodies, media and government landscapes.”

For further details, including the job description, person specification and information on how to apply, please visit the Perrett Laver website.

The closing date for applications is Monday 15 May with formal interviews due to take place on Thursday 29 June and Monday 10 July.