UK Athletics has confirmed Richard Bowker as the Chair-Elect who will succeed Ed Warner as Chair in January 2018. Bowker is currently a non-executive Director of London Marathon Events and is an Independent Director of the EFL (English Football League). A former Group CEO of National Express Group and Chair of the Strategic Rail Authority, he received a CBE for services to the Rail Industry in 2005.

He will join the board of UK Athletics as a non-executive director next month before succeeding Ed Warner as Chair in January 2018. He will stand down from the board of London Marathon Events on joining the UKA board. President of the UK Members Council Jason Gardener said:  “I am delighted to welcome Richard to the board of UKA in what will surely be a phenomenal year for the sport in this country. 2017 is a crucial year for athletics and next summer will see the biggest sporting event in the world hosted in London as we host both the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships. Richard was an outstanding candidate following our search for a future Chair and I look forward to working with him closely in the coming years.”

Richard Bowker said: "I am honoured to have been asked to Chair UK Athletics from January 2018. Athletics is very close to my heart and I am very excited to be joining the sport in the UK at this time. Hosting their respective world championships is something any sport in the UK would want, and athletics is on the cusp of some exciting years. I look forward to working with everyone involved in athletics in the UK at every level. We can all look forward to great performances at London 2017, Tokyo 2020 and beyond.”

UK Sport Chair Rod Carr said: “Congratulations to Richard on his appointment and we look forward to working closely with him and his team at what is a very important time for the sport. With the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships firmly in focus, the UK has a fantastic opportunity to recreate the amazing atmosphere of London 2012 and build on the momentum of Rio 2016 as we turn our attention towards further success at Tokyo 2020. A strong partnership between everyone working in the high performance sector is crucial to help ensure success and we look forward to this continuing.”