Nigel Cowman and Sean Hawkshaw appointed
The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has now completed the appointment of two independent directors to its Executive Committee board.
The additions to the Executive Committee represent the latest Governance reforms at the organisation and follow on from the introduction of gender equality reforms to ensure a minimum gender representation of 40% across the OFI Executive Committee.
Nigel Cowman
Nigel Cowman was appointed as the first of two independent directors in 2021 and this has been completed with the appointment of the second independent director, Sean Hawkshaw, in October 2022. The current gender balance sits at 43%, and the full constitution of the board can be found HERE.
Nigel Cowman is Group Finance Director at Glen Dimplex, having spent 24 years working in various finance and commercial roles in the sports sector. He combines senior financial and commercial expertise with strategic planning, business planning, budgeting and financial reporting. Nigel was previously responsible for the finance functions of Nike’s UK and Ireland operation and was Lifestyle Sports’ Finance and Commercial Director for more than a decade.
Sean Hawkshaw
Sean Hawkshaw has been the CEO for KBI Global Investors for almost 20 years and played a key role in leading the organisation through a successful transition from a domestically oriented investment firm to a specialist equity manager with a global client base. He also is a director and former chairman of the Irish Association of Investment Managers and a former director of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority. Sean also has a strong understanding of sport. His children compete at elite level, including his daughter Sarah, who became a hockey Olympian at Tokyo 2020.
Olympic Federation of Ireland President Sarah Keane welcomed the appointments saying,
“We are very happy to have completed the induction and appointment of two independent directors to the OFI’s Board of voluntary professionals. The OFI Executive Committee is strengthened by their skillsets, which compliment an already strong, diverse and progressive membership. They bring significant personal experience and vision to assist us on our journey to 2024 and beyond.”
OFI CEO Peter Sherrard added,
“The appointment of independent directors is a vital step in our Governance journey and adds to our diversity, connectivity and range of skillsets. We operate a very competitive environment with high ambition and expectations for our future. Nigel and Sean bring many years of experience and their strategic insights will assist us all as we achieve and grow in the coming years.”
