UKAD appoints two new Directors to its Leadership Team

• Kirsty Cockburn joins UKAD as Director of Communications
• Hamish Coffey is confirmed as UKAD’s Interim Director of Operations
• Departing Director of Operations, Pat Myhill leaves UKAD after 9 years

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has announced the appointment of two new Executive Directors to UKAD’s Leadership Team. Kirsty Cockburn has been appointed to Director of Communications and Hamish Coffey, UKAD’s Deputy Director of Operations (Testing), has been appointed to Interim Director of Operations.

In their roles, Kirsty will be responsible for UKAD’s communications, media and public relations, and Hamish will oversee the development of science and medicine, testing, and intelligence and investigations programmes at UKAD.

Kirsty is a strategic communications professional with expertise in the public and third sectors, and joins UKAD from the Teenage Cancer Trust where she was Deputy Director of Marketing and Communications. Kirsty has good knowledge of anti-doping in the UK having previously worked for UKAD on a freelance capacity, where she led several of UKAD’s communication initiatives around education at Major Games.

Hamish brings 19 years of anti-doping experience across UKAD, WADA and UK Sport. In his most recent role as Deputy Director of Operations (Testing) at UKAD, Hamish was responsible for the strategic oversight of UKAD’s intelligence-led testing programme which covers more than 40 sports. Hamish is also a WADA compliance Auditor and was previously Chair of WADA’s Independent Observer (IO) Team at the 2019 European Games in Minsk.

Pat Myhill, UKAD’s departing Director of Operations joined UKAD in 2013 from the Serious Organised Crime Agency. He is an experienced leader, having developed UKAD’s intelligence-led anti-doping programme including new partnerships with law enforcement, public regulators and sports to improve information sharing and collaboration.

UKAD Chief Executive, Jane Rumble, said: “I’m delighted that Kirsty has joined UKAD and that Hamish has stepped up to Interim Director of Operations, and I look forward to working with them both.

“Hamish is a well-respected figure within anti-doping and he has consistently shown over the years his dedication to clean sport, fair and honest values and his expertise, especially in the areas of Testing.”

“Hamish is an organisational leader who has been involved in a number of strategic projects to deliver anti-doping programmes across Major Events and international governance and will be stepping into Pat’s role to lead the Operations Directorate, an integral function of anti-doping to protect clean sport.”

“Kirsty is an experienced communications professional, passionate about delivering communications that advocate on behalf of the audiences we serve. UKAD has a duty as a public body to provide clear and effective communication, and I look forward to working with Kirsty to foster a purposeful and positive culture in clean sport.

“I would like to add my thanks to Pat Myhill for the years of dedication, his expertise, and commitment. I wish him all the very best in his next endeavour.”

Speaking on their appointment, Hamish said, “I look forward to working with UKAD, enhancing our current operations and ensuring we are targeting the threats to clean sport, so that clean athletes continue to have the confidence in the anti-doping system that sport is fair.”

Kirsty added: “I’m a huge believer in values-driven working cultures and UKAD has a very clear vision and a strong supporting set of values that guide all we do. My colleagues demonstrate huge professionalism, talent and integrity in their drive to keep sport clean and fair. I’m very proud to be re-joining them to help highlight and to promote the critical information and advice we want athletes to hear and understand.”