Chair Reappointed to the Sports Grounds Safety Authority
The Secretary of State has reappointed Derek Wilson as Chair of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority for a term of 3 years.
Derek Wilson BA Hons, Dip Arch (Dist), RIBA
Reappointed for a three year term commencing 1 April 2024.
Derek is an RIBA qualified architect with 30 years experience in sports buildings, master planning and major events, particularly in football, Rugby, Super Bowl, Olympics and Paralympics and Commonwealth Games. He has a passionate interest in stadium and event safety and accessibility.
He was a founding director at Lobb Sports Architecture which evolved to become Populous. He has also founded Derek Wilson Architects (DWA), Wilson Owens Owens (WOO) and most recently Wilson SEA.
He was Head of Design and Overlay at the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and lead sports architect for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Bid.
Derek was a long serving board member of the UK government’s Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) having joined when it was the Football Licencing Authority (FLA) in 2009. In 2021 he became the Chair of the SGSA.
Derek’s stadium projects include work for Arsenal FC, Burnley FC, Bolton Wanderers FC, Everton FC, Huddersfield Town FC, AFC Wimbledon, AC Le Havre, Optus Stadium (Perth), and Fontwell Park and Goodwood Racecourses and most recently Luton Town FC, the latest of 9 Premier League Stadiums.
He has worked on 5 Olympic and Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000, 2 Commonwealth Games, 9 NFL Super Bowls, 1 Rugby World Cup and various major event bids including Olympics and Paralympics, the UEFA Euros and the FIFA World Cup.
Derek has worked internationally in Australia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, USA and has been a regular speaker at international conferences. He has been an accessibility advisor to the English Premier League since 2014 and has been involved in spectator venue guidance and standard writing for many years.
His work has been award winning, including the UK’s top architectural award – The RIBA Building of the Year for the John Smith Stadium, Huddersfield and the BCI Building of the Year for the University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton.
Remuneration and Governance Code
This reappointment with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority is remunerated at £36,260. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.
The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Derek Wilson has not declared any significant political activity.