29th January 2024, London – London Sport is delighted to announce the appointment of Retna Thevarajah as Chief Operating Officer and Thanh Nguyen as Head of People.
Both join at an exciting time for London Sport as the charity celebrates its 10th anniversary and accelerates its efforts to help Londoners in the most disadvantaged communities lead longer, healthier and happier lives through being active. Retna and Thanh will help the organisation as it continues to strive for excellence in how it operates and provide the best place to work for its people to make a faster, stronger impact on physical activity and sport in London.
London Sport’s Chief Executive Officer, Emily Robinson said: “I am delighted to welcome both Retna and Thanh to London Sport. Retna brings strategic and commercial acumen, with an ability to contribute beyond the operations function. I look forward to her joining the senior leadership team to play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of London Sport on its journey of growth. As we continue to grow as an organisation, Thanh will play a critical role in helping us attract, develop and retain talented and committed people.”
As a qualified accountant, Retna has been a senior executive for more than a decade in the charity sector. She was Solace Women’s Aid for nine years and was COO for the last four. During the pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis, Solace continued to support more women and children to safe and independent lives under her robust financial stewardship. Prior to that, she worked on international finance projects with Ernst and Young and other management roles in London and south-east Asia.
Retna Thevarajah said: “I am excited to join the team at London Sport and contribute my knowledge and expertise as its first Chief Operating Officer. We share the same values to provide better access to physical activity and sport to all Londoners. I look forward to supporting the team to increase our reach to London’s under-represented communities”.
Thanh brings over seven years of human resources experience gained from the sports sector as well as having a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma. Prior to joining London Sport, he managed a climbing centre, steering it through the complexities of COVID restrictions and reopening on the other side.
Thanh Nguyen said: “I joined London Sport as Head of People shortly after welcoming my second child in October. Whilst the challenges of parenting and professional responsibilities loomed simultaneously, the latter has definitely proven more manageable as I bring solid experience to my role.
Beyond Human Resources, I am passionate about rock climbing, holding qualifications as both an Instructor and Development Coach. My varied background reflects a commitment to both personal and professional growth.”
For further comment or interview opportunities, please contact: [email protected]
ENDS
About London Sport
London Sport is a charity that exists to help ensure more Londoners live happier, healthier lives through access to sport and physical activity.
Supported by Sport England and the Mayor of London, London Sport collaborates with those that share our vision, running and supporting projects that help children, young people and the least active adults to embed sport and physical activity into their lives.
For more information on London Sport, visit www.londonsport.org
