A bright new future

This time last year, I was just beginning a new and exciting journey as CEO of British Cycling . Following a rewarding and occasionally turbulent seven years leading the Rugby League World Cup to its spectacular final at Old Trafford, I was ready for a new challenge.

With the one year milestone past and yesterday’s news of our new partnership with Lloyds Banking Group , it feels like a good time to reflect on what I’ve learned so far, and what the next 12 months has in store for us.

A time for change

I joined at a time when action rather than words was needed:?the organisation found itself heavily impacted by macroeconomic and political headwinds, and there was a clear sense that we needed to modernise, grow, and have the confidence to behave differently.

Making changes to an organisation, particularly as a new CEO, is fraught with difficulty – particularly when leading a team which has already been through a prolonged and unsettling period of flux.

Our financial outlook was undoubtedly stark. The organisation - like so many others - had struggled to re-adjust its costs following a drop in commercial income, membership count was coming under increasing pressure due to the cost-of-living crisis, and the sponsorship market had contracted significantly.

However, I also recognised there were some incredibly talented people within the team who would play a vital role in accelerating the changes we needed to grow and progress – not least the work done on our culture by People Director Claire Livesey (FCIPD) , the development of our Programme of Change by Director of Change Stephen Brown , and the way that all of this work has been embedded within the Great Britain Cycling Team by our Performance Director Stephen Park, CBE .

Despite having brilliant people around me and the unwavering support of my Chair and Boards, change is never easy – however I hope that our team are beginning to see the green shoots of progress around then. Running a national governing body is challenging and can be lonely at times, but it is also immensely uplifting and fulfilling when you start to see your collective efforts bear fruit.?

Creating a sense of purpose

I’ve always believed that organisations need a clear and powerful sense of purpose in order to succeed.

By digging into our DNA, we collectively understood our potential reach – knowing that there are around 26 million adults who have ridden a bike in the past 12 months. We also knew that we’re blessed to lead a sport with unique relevance and resonance across Britain’s communities. And finally, we knew that the bike can be a force for good, positively impacting people’s lives. Through this, we established our new purpose – to bring the joy of cycling to everyone – and this will be fundamental to our future success.

This period of discovery then led us to the development of a new and simplified route map to unite our team behind, distilling our priorities onto a single page to provide simplicity, clarity and a reminder of what is important to us.

Integral to this route map is our Programme of Change, consisting of five key strategic projects which we know have held us back in the past: improving our understanding of our audience and customer service; a new and compelling portfolio of major events; an evolution of our digital architecture and data; strengthening our brand; and laying the foundations for a new long-term strategy.

Thinking commercially

Given the bleak market conditions, it was imperative that we evolved our commercial approach to enable us to compete. Together with our Commercial Director, Darren Henry , we have been redefining our narrative and storyboard, and delivering business engagement events in London and Manchester to generate excitement and wider visibility.

This fresh approach has been accelerated further by our expanded portfolio of major events, including the Tours of Britain for men and women, overseen by Jonathan Day which have again opened doors for us as brands seek out opportunities to connect with communities and new audiences.

While we have never lost sight of the need to bring in more commercial revenue to support our future sustainability, we were crystal clear that any new partnership simply had to align with our purpose, our aspirations to deliver tangible social impact, and our need to connect with new and wider audiences.

Our new Lead Partner, Lloyds Banking Group is all of the above and more. This is an exciting new era in British Cycling’s great history and we're only at the start of the next stage.

Yesterday was a landmark moment for us, a change changer, predicated on determination and fuelled by a desire to succeed.

Looking ahead

I’ll never shy away from saying that this past year has had its challenges, nor from the mistakes I’ve made along the way.

For every problem we overcome, we know that another climb lies ahead – but in truth, it’s one of the most satisfying and enjoyable parts of the job. I’ve always told our team that my job description, in short, is to help make a difference.

Without challenge there is no achievement.