GEMMA SYKES
Operations Manager
Gemma is a knowledgeable sports and voluntary sector governance specialist with almost 20 years’ experience, who supports Getting on Board behind the scenes.
Gemma founded her voluntary sector governance consultancy, Love Governance Ltd in 2017, helping leaders of voluntary sector organisations achieve excellence in governance. She is also co-founder of the sports governance consultancy, Governance United. Through both firms, Gemma provides tailored reviews of organisations’ governance, guidance on how to improve, and hands-on practical support on a whole range of governance issues.
Gemma was Governance Manager for UK Sport for six years, where she managed a portfolio of twelve Olympic and Paralympic sports’ national governing bodies to ensure they had the highest levels of transparency, accountability and financial integrity. In this role, she contributed to the development of the first Code for Sports Governance, and supported her sports to achieve full compliance within six months.
Earlier in her career, Gemma worked in a range of governance roles, including 9 years with the Charity Commission for England and Wales advising trustees and their legal advisers on best practice in governance and compliance with charity law, and ultimately as Deputy Head of Governance, helping to lead the Commission’s own secretariat function. She has also held the role of secretary to the Council of the Electoral Reform Society and has been a trustee of a small international charity.
