England Golf has announced that Sarah Stirk and Julia Regis have joined its Board of Directors as Independent Director and Senior Independent Director respectively.
The pair begin their respective roles immediately after they were announced at the England Golf AGM on Wednesday 24 April.
A respected TV presenter and journalist, Stirk is one of the main hosts of Sky Sports Golf coverage, working across the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, while having previously presented and reported for the BBC, Setanta and Sky News.
She acts as a reporter for the Major championships, interviewing the world’s best golfers and is a nationally-accredited journalist, writing for various titles and publications including Golf News, The Mirror, Ultratravel, The Financial Times and The Telegraph.
Stirk is a keen entrepreneur, having built a luxury golf travel business which was later sold to Golfbreaks.com, and is a lover of sport, travel, fitness, business and personal development.
The 7.3-handicap golfer and former Oxfordshire county golfer is passionate about equality and diversity and hosts the annual Women’s Leadership Summit for The R&A. She also acts as a corporate host and facilitator as well as working as a brand ambassador for several businesses.
She said: “Having played and worked in golf for over 15 years, it’s clearly a sport that means a huge amount to me. To be part of the England Golf Board of Directors is a real honour and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help shape the future of our amazing sport.
“I have a real interest in ensuring golf is open and accessible to all and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to give back to the game which has given me so much joy over the years. Golf is changing and modernising and I believe my experience and knowledge of the media and commercial landscapes will be a great fit for England Golf and the objectives they are trying to achieve.
“I want golf to be in an even better place over the next five years and, as a new mum, I’d love to see my son fall in love with the game which has been such a key part of my life.”
Julia Regis is an award-winning consultant, specialising in helping organisations resolve complex people management issues. With more than 30 years of experience in the fields of human resources, leadership and organisational development, Regis started her career in the public sector before moving into the world of consulting.
As a significant figure and driver for change in society, Regis is often invited to speak at conferences, speaking about excellence in leadership, and how to remove limitations for women. Examples include appearing as a keynote speaker at an International Women’s Day UN-sponsored event for young women and girls in Ghana, as well as presenting at several US Women’s conferences.
Regis has a proven track record of challenging boards and organisations to enhance their equality, equity, diversity and inclusion performance in a meaningful way for employees and consumers.
As a result of her influence, she has held numerous non-executive director roles spanning three decades in the housing and youth sector, and has led on a number of women’s empowerment initiatives including Trustee for Smartworks Birmingham. She also spent over 13 years as an Ambassador for Wateraid, helping to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
Currently, she is Chair of the Cyrille Regis Legacy Trust, a charity set up following the death of her pioneering football husband Cyrille Regis, which aims to continue the impact and legacy of his work in the community.
Regis is also a Trustee of the ACE programme, a charity aiming to build grassroots cricket programmes and develop talent pathways to engage young people of African and Caribbean heritage with the sport.
Regis has been playing golf for 12 years now and is a keen golfer. Recognising that the representation of black women in the sport was low, she has now introduced over 250 women to the sport though various grassroots initiatives she has led on, helping to challenge perceptions and break down barriers.
“I am very passionate about this game and I am delighted to be able to bring my professional expertise to a sport that I love and play a part in shaping the future of our game,” said Regis. “I look forward to working with the team at England Golf to see golf become more inclusive and accessible to all.”