Dame Liz Nicholl DBE

Dame Liz Nicholl DBE has been the President of World Netball since 2019 and was re-elected for a second four-year term at the World Netball Congress in 2023. Liz played netball for Wales at World Cup level and had a 40-year career in sports administration. Liz has held a number of senior executive roles in sport including CEO of England Netball, Championship Director for the 1995 World Netball Championships, Director of Elite Sport at UK Sport and most recently CEO of UK Sport from 2010 until retirement from the role in 2019. During her career, she led the team that transformed the prospects and achievements of British athletes on the world stage. Through her roles Liz gained significant experience and knowledge of performance, major events, international relations, and governance in the national and international sporting arena.

Liz has received various prestigious awards for her contributions to netball and sport over the years. In 2000 she received an MBE for her services to netball, in 2005 an OBE for her services to sport, in 2015 a CBE for her services to sport and most recently in 2023 a DBE for her services to netball and sport in general. In addition to this, in 2016, Liz was awarded the Sports Journalists’ Association award for services to elite sport and in 2019, a Lifetime Achievement award from the British Sports Industry.