- Appointment key to development of Hockey Foundation’s function
- New role to focus on strategy development and fundraising
- Mike Joyce returns to hockey from IOC
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Foundation for the Development and Promotion of Hockey (The Hockey Foundation) has announced the appointment of Mike Joyce as its first Executive Director.
This appointment was made with the intention of creating a new strategy and fundraising activities to enhance the provisions of the Hockey Foundation and the development projects it will support.
The Hockey Foundation was constituted as a Swiss Foundation in 1985, with the aim of supporting the FIH in enhancing the quality of hockey worldwide.
Since 2012, when the FIH made a considerable financial contribution to the Hockey Foundation following the London 2012 Olympics, efforts have made to increase its activities and its independence.
Over the past few years, the Hockey Foundation has been focusing on expanding development programmes via the FIH Hockey Academy, whilst it has also been a key partner of The Hockey Museum.
The Hockey Foundation has also gone through the process of updating its statutes to enable a more dynamic structure and undertaken a feasibility study on the functioning and role of successful Foundations.
As a consequence, the current Foundation Board, led by President Leandro Negre and of which the FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra and the FIH CEO Thierry Weil are ex-officio members, came to the decision to appoint its first Executive Director.
Mike joins the Hockey Foundation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sports Department, where he has been responsible for the IOC’s relationship with over 50 recognised International Federations and organisations.
No stranger to the sport, Mike has previously held roles with the FIH, England Hockey and with hockey businesses in the private sector over the past 25 years.
Whist at the FIH from 2014 to 2016 he was responsible for establishing the FIH Hockey Academy and the Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) for global development, as well as managing the relationship with Continental Federations.
In addition to his professional commitments, Mike has been an active hockey volunteer in a wide range of roles for over 30 years. As well as running a successful hockey camp social enterprise, he currently devotes time to coaching Stade Lausanne HC women and Switzerland Under-18 boys, together with the occasional run-around with Stade Lausanne HC veterans.
Speaking about his appointment, President of the Hockey Foundation, Leandro Negre said: “I am delighted that Mike will join the Hockey Foundation as its first Executive Director. He brings a wealth of institutional and private sector experience in relationship building, promotion and development. His experience within the Olympic Movement is of particular value to the Hockey Foundation and we have no doubt he will help drive the FIH’s commitment to make hockey a global game that inspires future generations.”
Speaking about his return to hockey, Mike said: “I am extremely excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to serve the global hockey family once again. I feel a real optimism and ambition from the Hockey Foundation Executive Board about what we can achieve together for the development and promotion of our amazing sport.”
