Niels has nearly twenty years experience in the Sports Business, stretching back to 1999 when he joined the Organising Committee of the Manchester Commonwealth Games as Commercial Director, responsible for ticketing, broadcast, marketing and the cultural festival. The huge success of 2002 is popularly seen as a watershed moment for the UK, leading to an unrivalled few decades of hosting many of the world’s biggest events, including London 2012.
After a stint as CEO of Premiership Rugby Club Sale Sharks, whom he guided to the Championship Trophy in 2006, Niels joined UK Athletics. In his ten years there he oversaw a dramatic upturn in the results of the GB team, including record medal performances in both Olympic and Paralympics, with the GB team now a regular top 5 performer on the global stage making it one of our most successful sports. Niels also instigated an aggressive plan to bid for, and run, international events as a means to drive revenue and awareness in the UK. Since 2007 UKA has hosted 2 European indoor championships, one world indoor championships, 2 world half marathons, the European team championships and, in 2017, the first ever joint hosting of the IAAF and IPC World Athletics Championships.
In Sept 2017 Niels left UKA to set up FABRIC GROUP Ltd – a specialist consultancy advising businesses, federations, cities and governments invest in their communities through sport, the arts and charity. He is currently retained by the Board of USA 2021 World Atheltics Championships to provide strategic planning advice and Board assurance.
