Swapping the boardroom for the basketball court: Greenhouse Sports appoints FTSE leaders as CEO and Chair
As the new decade gives rise to the ongoing need to provide support to disadvantaged young people across London, Greenhouse Sports is proud to announce the recent appointment of Beatrice Butsana-Sita as CEO and Luke Ellis as Chair. Both individuals come with extensive experience in the corporate world and securing them to lead the next chapter of Greenhouse’s growth demonstrates the credibility of the organisation. Founded in 2002 by entrepreneur and philanthropist, Michael de Giorgio, Greenhouse has grown significantly in recent years, and now supports around 7,300 young Londoners each year through its unique coaching and mentoring approach that is proven to improve attendance and attainment at school*.
Butsana-Sita, most recently Managing Director at Capita Networking Solutions and a current Non-Executive Director with South London and Maudsley Mental Health Foundation Trust, brings a wealth of experience in commercial strategy and leadership from a series of high-profile senior roles. Having begun her career at KPMG in Belgium, she thrived in a series of roles at British Telecom, representing BT at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2014 and appearing on the list of 100 women to watch published by Cranfield University.
Speaking in her first week as CEO of Greenhouse Sports, Butsana-Sita commented:
“I immediately fell in love with Greenhouse Sports’ vision: ‘Every child has a fair chance to succeed’. I feel honoured to have been chosen to lead this amazing organization which uses sports to engage with young people to improve their lives and help them achieve their full potential. I am really excited to be able to work alongside the impressive trustees and in particular the founder Mike de Giorgio, the Chairman Luke Ellis, and Mike Sherwood, the key sponsor of the Greenhouse Centre, and build on the great work of my predecessor, John Herriman. Together with them, the existing inspiring staff and coaches, I would like to make a huge difference to young people’s lives.”
Butsana-Sita will be leading the charity along side Luke Ellis, who was appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees in December 2019. The current CEO of Man Group plc and a member of the Man Group Executive Committee, Ellis is a highly respected leader in the city who has served on the Greenhouse Board since 2015.
Commenting on his appointment as Chair and welcoming Butsana-Sita as CEO, Ellis added:
“Having been established for 19 years and having impacted on more than 45,000 lives, Greenhouse Sports performs a crucial function for London and it is an honour to have been appointed as Chair. Since joining the Board of Greenhouse Sports, I have been hugely impressed and inspired by the work done by our coaches and the development of the charity, most recently with the launch of the Greenhouse Centre last year. This would have been impossible without my predecessor Mike Sherwood, who will continue to be involved on the Trustee Board after stepping down as Chairman.”
“For many young people growing up in London today, life is very tough. It is all our responsibility to ensure we open the doors and provide the opportunities for all the talent that exists in communities across the city. Greenhouse coaches do exactly this, using the vehicle of sport to develop young people in a holistic way, raising their aspirations and giving these kids a chance to dream. There are so many more young people in London who could benefit from the Greenhouse Sports model. I am delighted that we have attracted such an impressive individual to lead Greenhouse Sports to meet this challenge and look forward to working with Beatrice in the years ahead.”
*Research published by Loughborough University (2017) found that on average young people on the Greenhouse Sports programme attended 5 days more of school per year and achieved a 30% – 40% better English and Maths GCSE.