Paul Stark BA (Hons), PGCE, CMgr, MCMI, MIC

 Paul is a visionary leader and the driving force behind Sustainable Sport, founded after an impressive 20-year career spanning international major events, national governing bodies, public agencies, local authorities and the charitable sector. 

His deep-rooted expertise across these arenas has positioned him as a transformative figure in the world of sport and sustainability.

With a diverse portfolio of leadership roles - including Chair of a charity, CEO, Company Director and Senior Executive across multiple sports organisations, Paul brings unparalleled strategic insight and hands-on expertise.

Known for his integrity, commitment and forward-thinking approach, he consistently leads with purpose, ensuring the long-term success of every organisation he serves.

Paul has a proven track record of designing and executing high-impact strategies, building strong governance frameworks, and driving innovation across a wide range of projects and programs. His ability to cultivate high-performing, agile teams has delivered exceptional results while prioritising sustainability and minimising environmental impact.

Paul is a member of the Chartered Management Institute, Institute of Consulting and the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland. 

He is also the co-author of a national resource on leadership and management for sport and cultural professionals, further solidifying his reputation as an influential voice in the industry.

  Kat is a trailblazer in the world of sustainable sports. As the co-founder of Sustainable Sport, launched in January 2024, she is on a mission to revolutionise the Scottish sports community by championing eco-friendly practices and long-term sustainability.

With 20 years of experience spanning grassroots sports, local authorities, and national governing bodies, Kat has played a pivotal role in shaping sports provision across Scotland. 

Her diverse career also includes key marketing roles in financial services and higher education, equipping her with a strategic mindset and a powerful ability to drive meaningful change.

Passionate about the transformative power of sport, Kat is deeply committed to enhancing local sports opportunities, particularly for young people. 

Alongside her leadership at Sustainable Sport, she actively supports community and grassroots organisations. 

Her drive and dedication make her a powerful  force in creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful sports landscape in Scotland.

   Julia brings extensive experience from across the sport and third sector, working closely with organisations to strengthen governance, financial management, operations and strategy to support more sustainable and effective ways of working.

Her consultancy approach is shaped by a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on experience. 

Alongside senior operational roles, Julia has worked in high-profile environments with the British Olympic Association (Team GB) and Commonwealth Games Scotland (Team Scotland), supporting digital media delivery, athlete and media engagement and content creation during major Games. 

With an operational background in non-traditional and smaller sporting governing bodies, Julia has first-hand insight into the realities of organisations where passion often outweighs capacity. She uses this experience to support organisations through periods of change, helping to improve systems, processes and delivery, whilst recognising the practical limits of small teams.

Julia brings particular strength in financial and governance leadership, supporting organisations with strategic financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, end-of-year accounts and improving financial controls to support long-term sustainability. 

Her governance experience spans policy development, board and AGM processes, equality, sustainability, safeguarding and data protection and includes leading governance improvement work that has resulted in positive external audit outcomes and stronger organisational accountability.

 Julia brings a strong focus on safeguarding, recognising its essential role across sporting governing bodies. With multiple qualifications in child wellbeing and protection, she supports organisations to implement robust safeguarding frameworks that protect individuals, promote accountability, and strengthen organisational culture. 

   Phil Heselwood is a senior sport and major events leader recognised for shaping how global competitions are designed, delivered and sustained. 

With more than 25 years’ experience across major events, community sport and elite performance, he brings a rare whole-system perspective to some of the most complex sporting environments in the world.

He operates at the intersection of high-performance sport, public value and large-scale delivery, and has been instrumental in redefining the future of event hosting. Phil collaborated to design and execute the innovative model that secured the 2026 Commonwealth Games for Glasgow, challenging entrenched conventions and demonstrating how major events can be delivered with greater discipline, sustainability and long-term value.

As Director of Sport for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Phil was responsible for the sporting success of 13 World Championships delivered concurrently—the largest cycling event in history. He progressed high-quality, athlete-centred experiences while delivering significant advances in equity and accessibility.

Within the Sustainable Sport team, Phil provides specialist expertise in elite sport direction, major event creation, bidding and event architecture. His contribution is shaped by deep experience across the UK sporting system, including direct involvement in multiple British Olympic and Paralympic successes, ensuring sustainability ambitions are grounded in the realities of high-performance delivery.

    Josie has significant experience in sports operations, event delivery and organisational support, combining strategic planning with a highly practical, hands-on approach.

With a background spanning major international sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games, the UCI Cycling World Championships and the FIFA World Cup, alongside long-term operational leadership roles within the sport and leisure sector, Josie supports organisations to plan, deliver and sustain high-quality programmes and activities.

Josie’s skillset is particularly valuable to organisations delivering activities, supporting them across day-to-day operations, event planning, volunteer coordination and stakeholder management.

She excels at turning strategic objectives into clear operational plans, developing systems and processes that improve efficiency and enhance participant and athlete experience.

Josie also brings strong organisational and communication skills, working collaboratively with staff, volunteers and partners to ensure projects are delivered safely, inclusively and effectively. 

Her calm, solutions-focused approach makes her a trusted support across both day-to-day operations and longer-term development work.

Lauren is an events and partnerships leader specialising in building, launching, and scaling events functions within complex, multi-purpose venues, with a focus on driving commercial revenue through strategic event programmes.

She has helped establish events departments from the ground up, developing strategies that unlock new revenue streams and embed long-term commercial value within venue operations. This includes key roles in shaping event propositions, securing partnerships, and delivering commercially led programming at major destination venues such as Johnnie Walker Princes Street (Diageo) and Lost Shore Surf Resort.

Alongside venue leadership, Lauren has worked across global events agencies and as a freelance consultant for blue-chip clients across multiple sectors, delivering complex, high-profile events with a strong focus on logistics, stakeholder management, and operational delivery.

Her experience includes securing and managing commercial sponsorships within live event environments, and she is increasingly focused on developing this into a dedicated consultancy offering to help organisations build effective partnership and sponsorship strategies that drive sustainable revenue.