The Board of Irish Sailing has announced the appointment of Tim Bourke as the new CEO of the organisation.
He succeeds Harry Hermon who retired from the role late last year and has come through an independent selection process to take up the top job in the sport.
Tim is well regarded in both business and sailing circles, bringing a discerning blend of commercial and sporting experience, to lead the organisation.
He has been working as a consultant in Dublin since 2020 having relocated back after a five-year stint as Global Head of eCommerce and strategy with Schneider Electric, a major multinational manufacturer.
Bourke is described as having “a life-long passion for sailing which started with dinghies and continued with instructing, racing keelboats, cruising, and volunteering.”
In sailing administration, he ran a sailing school in the US, co-founded the SB20 class, recently rebuilt the Feva class and re-started an Adult Sailing programme locally.
“I really look forward to working with the Board, the dedicated members of staff and our sailing community to accelerate participation, accessibility and the reputation of our sport, he said.
Irish Sailing has 24,000 registered members across 100 Clubs, 45 Affiliated Classes, 35 Affiliated, and 40 Commercial Training/Activity Centres running accredited training programs.
There is a team of over 20 including full, part-time and contract coaches working with the many volunteers who drive the sport on the water.
Its stated focus in 2023 is on supporting two complementary elements in the sport – Core activities, the grassroots of learning, participation, cruising and racing in both clubs and centres; and Performance, Irish elite athlete’s execution at international events.
The latter will be in sharp focus with a strong pipeline of young talent coming through and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon.
“We thank outgoing CEO Harry Hermon for his tireless efforts over the years,” said Irish Sailing President John Twomey.
“We are delighted to have Tim take up the helm. With his previous experience in business and his vision for the future of Irish Sailing, we have every confidence in his ability to lead the organisation, and support all stakeholders and sailors throughout Ireland and internationally.”
Bourke is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Business and Economics and completed an MBA focused on B2B eCommerce at UCD.
Sport for Business Perspective:
The spotlight will initially fall on the Olympic Games qualification and participation but the size and scale of the sport is so much greater than one two-week competition and Bourk’s task will be to get the balance right between the multiple different strands that make up the sport. We wish him well and look forward to engaging with him over the coming months.
