Stephen has been Chief Executive of SkillsActive since its establishment in 2003. SkillsActive is the Sector Skills Council for the Active Leisure and Learning Sector, an employer-led organisation recognised and licensed by government and charged with leading the skills and productivity drive within the Sport and Recreation, Health and Fitness, Playwork, The Outdoors and Caravan industries across the UK.

Stephen has worked in the industry since graduating from London University in 1975. Following on from seven years hands-on management experience at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Stephen moved to the Sports Council HQ. Taking on a policy and strategic role, he took responsibility for the work of the Council and Sport and Recreational Management.

Following his secondment from the Sports Council in 1995 to establish SPRITO as the industry training organisation and on to be the National Training Organisation, Stephen has been core to the development of the Sector organisation for education and training.

Stephen used his knowledge of the national skills agenda and his strategic and management capability to work closely with employers in the Sector to establish SkillsActive as the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning in 2003 following the government’s Skills White Paper.

The organisation is dedicated to the needs of business by helping to improve their competitiveness and productivity, with an aim of bringing together employer, educators and government with a united agenda of employer-led action on skills.

Stephen was elected President of the European Observatory for Sports and Employment (EOSE) last year.