Why Sports Conference 2020

Professor John Newton

Director of Health Improvement, Public Health England

John has a long-standing interest in the use of knowledge to drive public health practice. He currently directs the information, intelligence and research functions of Public Health England and has responsibility for health improvement functions including screening, alcohol tobacco and drugs, diet and obesity and health equity. He has led England’s contribution to the Global Burden of Disease project and is Chairman of the WHO European Burden of Disease Network.

Morning Plenary Session

Presentation from Public Health England

9:50 - 10:10

Mr Brett Pearson
Head of Sales and Marketing
EMD UK

Brett is a highly experienced, award-winning sales and marketing professional, with over 30 years’ experience in running media organisations in the UK, Middle Eastern and Asian markets. Previously part of the team that established ProActive, an organisation based in Abu Dhabi to encourage local Emiratis to become active, he returned to the UK. He is now responsible for positioning EMD UK as the ‘go-to’ o ...

Yvonne Harrison
Managing Director
Project `92

Yvonne was appointed as Managing Director of Project 92 in March 2018, after leading Greater Manchester Charity, GreaterSport, as their Chief Executive for four years. Having spent over fifteen years within the sport and physical activity landscape, Yvonne has a wealth of experience across the sector incorporating strategic development, relationship management, finance, business planning and communications. Yvonne has been a key driver to galvanize the Greater Manchester network to produce Greater Manchester Moving, the blueprint for physical activity and sport across the City Region, as Greater Manchester trailblazes with radical reform of the health and social care system through devolution and begins to implement Sport England’s local delivery pilot. Yvonne led GreaterSport to multiple awards, before leaving to embark on a new challenge, working with the ‘Class of 92’ across their sport and education portfolio, which includes the brand new University venture UA92 in Trafford. Yvonne joined the Board of Why Sports Media Group in 2017 following a positive working relationship with the Founders and recognising the contribution she could make through her experience and network. Yvonne is enjoying helping the social enterprise realise its objectives and ensuring customers of Why Sports experience great content, networking and cutting edge thinking through the series of conferences and panel debates delivered.

Tim Hollingsworth
Chief Executive
Sport England

Professor John Newton
Director of Health Improvement
Public Health England

Professor John Newton is Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England and Honorary Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Universities of Manchester and Exeter. As well as being an academic epidemiologist in the University of Oxford, he has been Director of Research and Development in two large teaching hospitals, the first Director and CEO of UK Biobank and a Regional Director of Public Health. John has a long-standing interest in the use of knowledge to drive public health practice. He currently directs the information, intelligence and research functions of Public Health England and has responsibility for health improvement functions including screening, alcohol tobacco and drugs, diet and obesity and health equity. He has led England’s contribution to the Global Burden of Disease project and is Chairman of the WHO European Burden of Disease Network.

Huw Edwards
Acting CEO
ukactive

Huw was made Acting CEO of ukactive in May 2019. He was previously Public Affairs director at ukactive with responsibility for leading the organisation’s engagement with Government and wider stakeholders. In 2017, Huw was appointed as a Leisure Sector champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to DWP objectives. Prior to joining ukactive, Huw worked as the Public Affairs lead at British Tennis working across both the Lawn Tennis Association and The Tennis Foundation. He has also worked for both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Olympic Delivery Authority during the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Huw is the Public Affairs Director at ukactive and is responsible for leading ukactive’s engagement with government and wider stakeholders. In 2017 Huw was appointed as a Leisure Sector Champion for the Department of Work & Pensions disability taskforce, aiming to ensure that the work of the sector in the disability space is aligned to DWP objectives. Prior to joining ukactive, Huw worked as the Public Affairs lead at British Tennis, working across both the Lawn Tennis Association and The Tennis Foundation. This required ongoing engagement across the NGB network. He has also worked for both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Olympic Delivery Authority during the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Speaker Profiles

Professor John Newton

Director of Health Improvement, Public Health England