Sara Sutcliffe, Chief Executive Officer of RYA talks about the multiple roles that they play as a national sports governing body. She describes the journey she and her team went on to discover the purpose that pulled these puzzle pieces together – and how they developed a fundamentally different strategy that shouldn’t come as a big surprise to their staff and key stakeholders.
RYA stands for Royal Yachting Association. Set up in 1875 as the Yacht Racing Association, the RYA has since become the national governing body for dinghy, motor and sail cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sportsboats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative body for inland waterways cruising.
The RYA exists to get more people into boating and watersport activities, promote safe boating practices and raise the standards of yachting and sailing in the UK through its network of more than 2,400 RYA recognised training centres in more than 58 countries, and more than 1,500 RYA affiliated clubs.
Sara joined the RYA in January 2022 and is an experienced senior sports administrator with a legal background. She has over 20 years’ executive experience in the sports sector firstly at the British Olympic Association and then as CEO at Table Tennis England. Sara leads an active life enjoying pursuits such as sailing and skiing with her family.
Sara Sutcliffe