Senior Management Team

Drew Barrand – Chief Executive Officer

Drew is the Chief Executive Officer of Aquatics GB.

Drew joined the organisation in May 2023, bringing more than two decades of management experience in sport, having worked with governing bodies, brands, broadcasters and agencies, and having worked with key stakeholders such as Olympic Games Organising Committees, the Rugby World Cup and the English Football League (EFL), as well as sport-specific sponsors ASICS and EA Sports.

A year into his tenure, Drew oversaw the organisational rebrand from British Swimming to Aquatics GB - launching the new identity ahead of the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London.

Ash Cox – Executive Director of Business Affairs and General Counsel

Ash Cox is the Executive Director of Business Affairs and General Counsel for Aquatics GB stepping up from his role as Director of Legal and Governance. Ash has worked for Aquatics GB since 2011 and is currently responsible for the organisations strategy and driving the organisation forward focussing on its strategic aims in performance, major events and international relations. Ash is also responsible for overseeing the commercial aspect of the business such as sponsorship agreements and the regulatory side including integrity. Ash is also responsible for the Company Secretarial function.

Ash is a vastly experienced sports administrator having been involved in sport for over two decades. Before joining Aquatics GB Ash worked in private practice and was an engineer prior to attending Law School. Ash played Basketball at a national level for a number of years, enjoys all sport and is passionate about health and fitness.

Ash is also a specialist arbitrator for Sport Resolutions and a member of the European Aquatics Integrity Unit.   

Chris Spice – Performance Director

Chris Spice is the Performance Director at Aquatics GB.

Chris joined Aquatics GB as the then National Performance Director of Swimming in April 2013 and has overseen a restructuring of how elite swimming is managed and developed in Great Britain.

Chris oversees the performance side of the organisation, and is responsible for driving a consistent culture and performance across the three World Class Programmes. He liaises with the coaches and performance staff to ensure that medal targets are met and that all teams can perform to the highest level.

Before joining Aquatics GB, Chris was the Performance Director at British Basketball, a role he started in 2007, where he was responsible for the performance of the Great Britain senior and under 20s programmes to develop a systematic approach to elite player development.

In 2001 he was appointed the Performance Director for England Rugby and was in this role when England lifted the Rugby World Cup for the first time in 2003. He also took up the role of Performance Director of Great Britain and English Hockey in 1997 and oversaw the men's and women's GB teams until early 2001.

Before beginning his career in performance management, Chris was an international hockey player and gold medal winning coach with Australia. In his time with the Hockeyroos the team was ranked number one in the world from 1993 to 1997 winning two Champions Trophies, the World Cup for the first time in 1994 and Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996.

Tim Jones – Associate Performance Director

Tim Jones is the Associate Performance Director at Aquatics GB.

In his role, Tim has a particular focus on the Diving and Para-Swimming disciplines – assisting and working with the relevant performance staff to ensure that the best possible results are achieved at an elite level.

Working with Aquatics GB Performance Director Chris Spice as well as Swim England, Scottish Swimming and Swim Wales, Jones helps to create a seamless pathway programme from junior to senior international teams, whilst fostering a competitive and elite environment for the Para-Swimming and Diving World Class Programmes.

Tim is a former Olympic swimmer and three-time Olympic coach, who has had held significant leadership roles at Scottish Swimming and UK Athletics before becoming Olympic Performance Director with British Gymnastics from 2008-13.

From here he took on the role of Head of Elite Development at Aquatics GB, charged with implementing a systemic approach to the nurturing and development of a succession of Olympic medal-winning talent.

Adam Clarke – Associate Director – Performance Strategy & Operations

Adam Clarke is the Associate Director – Performance Strategy & Operations at Aquatics GB.

He began his time at Aquatics GB in May 2011, working as Head of Performance Services before moving into his current role in November 2021 following an organisational restructure.

Adam’s main role responsibility is to oversee the development of overarching performance strategies and operational plans for swimming, para-swimming and diving, as well as overseeing the planning and delivery of programme activity.

Prior to joining Aquatics GB, Adam had a career in community sport development, sport and leisure facility management and leisure management consultancy, before part-owning a business specialising in sport, leisure and economic development programme and service evaluation. He has a degree in Sport and Recreation Studies, with a Postgraduate Certificate in Sport and Leisure Management.

Away from the water, he was once interviewed on the BBC News to provide insight into a super casino development.

Janine Harriman – Director of People

Janine Harriman is the Director of People at Aquatics GB and has 15 years of service with the organisation and its predecessors.

She is an experienced HR generalist and has held various roles within HR throughout her professional life.

Janine attended Sheffield Hallam University and achieved a degree in Business Studies and Human Resource Management, and she is also a Chartered Member of the CIPD.

Janine provides an effective and efficient HR service to all areas of the organisation, and her responsibilities include managing the employment lifecycle, employee benefits, policies and procedures, equality, diversity and inclusion, and health and safety training.

The highlight of Janine’s time working with Aquatics GB was the opportunity to attend the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Out of work she enjoys holidays, socialising with friends and spending time with her two daughters.  

Wendy Lockton – Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning

Wendy Lockton is the Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning for Aquatics GB. She started working for Aquatics GB in 2001 in the role of Assistant World Class Programmes Manager. Wendy has held various roles since starting with the organisation more than two decades ago and has been in her current post since November 2021.

Main responsibilities for her role include leading all of the processes that underpin the corporate strategy and planning, assisting the CEO to drive efficiencies, best practice and the highest professional standards and also leading and managing the Head Office to ensure an effective working environment.

Wendy attended Loughborough University and achieved a BSc in Sports Science in 1998 before completing a MSc in Recreation Management in 1999. She also achieved an Executive Masters in Sport Organisation Management as part of the International Olympic Committee MEMOS Programme in 2008.

Wendy is an ex-international swimmer herself, regularly representing Great Britain between 1991 and 1997, before retiring to concentrate on her studies. She still swims regularly and also enjoys running and triathlons.

Kathreen France – Director of Finance

Kathreen France is Aquatics GB’s Director of Finance, having been employed by Aquatics GB since 2006, when she took on her first role with the organisation as World Class Programmes Finance Manager.

Her previous roles across Aquatics GB and Swim England saw her as the Group Finance Manager from 2010, while she also managed the Finance Business Partnering team – covering the internal reporting and budgeting of Swim England and Aquatics GB groups – between 2013 and 2015. She set up a separate finance team for Aquatics GB alone in 2015.

Kathreen’s current responsibilities include preparation, approval and monitoring of company budgets, financial reporting to the Aquatics GB Board, the Audit & Risk Committee, UK Sport and internal budget managers and the management of the Finance team. She also manages the relationships with external auditors and corporate bankers.

Away from work, Kathreen enjoys reading, watching crime thrillers and travelling overseas.

Claire Davenport – Director of Events, Marketing & Communications

Claire Davenport is the Director of Events, Marketing & Communications at Aquatics GB.

Claire started working for Aquatics GB in 2006 in the role of Events Administrator. During her 16 years with Aquatics GB, she has spent the majority of time working in Events but has also been involved in the organisation’s International Influence work.

Her current, primary role is ensuring Aquatics GB delivers against its events, marketing, communications and commercial strategy.

Claire’s career highlight at Aquatics GB was the opportunity she had to volunteer in Beijing during the Olympic Games in 2008 and then being involved in the test events for London 2012, before going on to have involvement in the London 2012 Games themselves.

She is a general sports fan but has always had a real passion for swimming, having swum as a club swimmer when she was younger, and she has recently taken part in her first ever triathlon. She loves spending time with her family - her husband Ross and two children.

Matt Ashman – Associate Director – Sports Science & Sports Medicine

Matt Ashman leads and strategically manages the development of a world-leading sports science and sports medicine (SSSM) programme as the Associate Director of Sports Science and Sports Medicine.