Meet The Board

**Vicky Lowe - Chair**
**Professional Experience:** I’ve always worked in the sports sector, currently Global Director of Development at global sports organisation Laureus Sport for Good, and have also worked in major sports events, corporate and professional sports clubs.
**Other volunteer roles:** I’m Chair of The Change Foundation, a UK sport for development and youth charity working in the UK and globally.
**Sporting experience:** Previously played amateur rugby, now I run (slowly) and play golf and squash for fun.
**Reason for sitting on the EL board:** Lacrosse was my first sporting love, I played throughout my teens in the UK and the USA and I’m delighted to be back working within a sport that has given me so much.

**Jill Giddins - Governance and Nominations**
**Professional Experience:** Solicitor
**Other volunteer roles:** Governor at Prince's Mead School, Winchester
**Areas of expertise:** Law, strategy, governance
Sporting experience
**Sporting experience:** I enjoy yoga, tennis and swimming and watching lacrosse
**Reason for sitting on the EL board:** I am a relative newcomer to the sport and keen to see the profile and participation increase.

**Tim Hunt - Business, Marketing and Events**
**Professional Experience:** Senior Commercial Sports Marketeer
**Other volunteer roles:** Chair - Reading Hockey club
**Areas of expertise:** Sports Marketing, Commercial Partnerships, Communications, Event Management
**Sporting experience:** Recreational Hockey Player
**Reason for sitting on the EL board:** I wanted to support a growing sport at a governance level. Lacrosse is a sport very close to my family as my wife represented England at the 2005 World Cup and my daughter now plays.

**Mark Jeffreys - Performance**
**Professional Experience:** I am currently Director of Sport and Physical Activity at Birmingham City University, where I look after all the beyond the curriculum sport and physical activity opportunities for students and staff. My previous role was as Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Gloucestershire.
**Other volunteer roles:** I sit on the board of British Equestrian where I am Senior Independent Director, I chair their World Class Performance Management Group and sit on the Audit and Risk committee and Nominations and Remuneration committee. I also sit on the board of England Squash where I sit on the Talent and Performance Group and the Audit and Risk committee. I work with English Universities Sport where I coach the EUS Women's 7s teams. I also Chair a charity in Birmingham; United Communities Activities Network, which aims to support small sports organisations and clubs to develop their infrastructures.
**Areas of expertise:** Sports coaching, High Performance Sport and Sports Governance.
**Sporting experience:** I was a junior international rugby player at U19, 20 and 21 level. I have coached internationally and developed Level 4 coaching courses for a range of NGBs.
**Reason for sitting on the EL board: I** have worked with EL on their Performance and Talent group and was impressed with the way that EL are looking to develop, and the opportunities that exist for the sport.

**Jane Mcarthy**
**Professional Experience:** 30 years experience working in Financial Services, initially in Manchester, then London via offshore finance in Gibraltar for 3 years. Majored in Strategic Change , Programme Management , Acquisition, Integration and Divestment.
**Other Volunteer Roles:**
I was a School Governor for 9 years and also a volunteer at the 2017 Women’s World Championships in Guildford , SLT member for the Referees and Officials at the 2019 Women’s U19 Championships in Canada. I was also Team Manager for England Mens Senior Team , a role I really enjoyed and would recommend .
**Areas of expertise:** Chartered accountant, champion of women in sport.
**Sporting Experience**
Many, many weekends watching Lacrosse over the years but never playing , despite best efforts of my father. I’m loving Box Lacrosse and the 6s format. Manchester City football fan (even when they weren’t very good)
**Reason for sitting on the EL Board**
To support, assist and progress Lacrosse in England.

Nikki De Kretser - Remcom, Board Lead Welfare and Safeguarding

Professional Experience: Marketing and General Management, high growth Technology/FinTech sectors

Other volunteer role: Vice Chair, Board of Governors at St Swithun’s School, Winchester

Areas of expertise: Brand & Customer Experience, Growth Strategy, Corporate Communications, Employee Engagement. I have spent most of my career helping international Tech companies grow and expand their global footprint. This experience has enhanced my cultural awareness and fuelled a passion for diversity.

Sporting experience: I played lacrosse at county and regional level, now a keen golfer and hiker. Both my son and daughter are on the Hampshire cricket pathway which gives me good insight into some of the issues and opportunities young players face. My daughter currently plays lacrosse at St Swithuns.

Reason for sitting on the EL board: I have a strong emotional bond with the sport as an ex-player. However, aside from the personal connection, I think that lacrosse is a sport with huge potential for growth, which taps into my professional expertise in scaling companies. The game is fast-paced, highly skilled and now has a wide variety of different formats, meaning that everyone can get involved.

**Michael Estill - Finance, Business**
**Professional Experience**: Strategy / commercial / finance executive
**Other volunteer role**: MVP Padel, Advisor
**Areas of expertise:** Strategy, planning, commercial, finance
**Sporting experience**: 30 years playing lacrosse(Poynton LC, Spencer LC); play multiple other sports; investor in padel club
**Reason for sitting on the EL board**: Combine professional experience with sporting passion; interested to learn more about sports development.

**Mark Coups - Chief Executive Officer**
**Professional Experience**: Executive level experience across the sporting landscape in the UK. I have dedicated a large part of my professional working life to the devlopment of lacrosse in England.
**Other volunteer role**: *Senior Independent Board member Merseyside Active Sport Partnership*
**Areas of expertise**: Leadership, strategy
**Sporting experience**: I have played and coached lacrosse from International level to grass roots. I coached Senior England Men at 2 World Cups. I helped run Sheffield Lacrosse Club over 10 years and I established and run Cirencester Lacrosse Club.
**Reason for sitting on the EL board**: My passion and drive to see lacrosse thrive nationally and on an international level.

**Prashant Jobanputra - Senior INED, Business, Governance and Nominations**
**Professional Experience**: Promontory Financial Group, an IBM Company
**Areas of expertise**: Business / IT Consulting: Strategy and Sales growth
- Governance, Risk and Regulation affecting digital transformation: data, AI, cloud, automation, cyber, operations engineering
- Acquisition Sales, synergy, efficiency and Integration.
- Complex Change and Programme Delivery

Callum Whitton

Professional Experience:
Senior Sport Administrator with roles including Senior City and Fan Experience Manager for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, Senior Event Experience Manager at Formula E, and Sporting System Programme Manager at UK Sport.

Other Volunteer Role:
Founding Trustee for The True Athlete Project and Trustee for The Wooden Spoon Charity, with additional roles such as Performance Committee Member for GB Table Tennis and Impact and Evaluation Committee Member at The Change Foundation.

Areas of Expertise:
Event management, fan engagement strategy, stakeholder and partnership management, brand and sponsorship activation, and budget management.

Sporting Experience:
Experience across high-profile events like the 2019 Netball World Cup, 2018 ITU World Triathlon Relays, and the 2015 Rugby World Cup, specializing in fan engagement and event delivery.

Reason for Sitting on the EL Board:
To leverage his extensive experience in event management and strategic partnerships, ensuring the growth and success of England Lacrosse's key initiatives, while enhancing the sport's visibility and impact on young athletes across the UK..

Sophie Power

Professional Experience:
Experienced Non-Executive Director with roles including Trustee and Chair of Finance and Audit Committee at Women in Sport, and former CEO and Co-Founder of Airlabs, an environmental technology business. Strategic advisor and NED roles across various sectors, including Post Quantum and TLC Marketing.

Other Volunteer Role:
Founder of SheRACES, a non-profit organization advocating for equity and inclusivity for women in racing, achieving significant wins in pregnancy deferrals for major marathons.

Areas of Expertise:
Strategic planning, commercial and financial management, advocacy for women’s sports, corporate governance, and business transformation.

Sporting Experience:
International ultra-runner, representing Great Britain at the European 24-hour Championships 2022 and World 24-hour Championships 2023. Completed prestigious events like the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and Spartathlon.

Reason for Sitting on the EL Board:
To leverage her strategic and financial expertise, along with her advocacy experience, to drive positive change and support the growth of women’s participation and visibility in lacrosse.