The British Equestrian (BEF) Board of Directors has appointed business leader Fields Wicker-Miurin OBE FKC as the new Chair of Great Britain’s national federation of equestrianism. She will take up the official position on 01 July 2024, following a handover period.
Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Fields has held leadership positions in different types of organisations in a variety of sectors across the globe. From membership institutions and entrepreneurial start-ups to large, listed companies, she has served on the boards of British, French and Swedish corporations, UK government departments, arts bodies and universities. Passionate about the ability of each of us to make a lasting positive difference in the world, she also helped establish global social enterprise Leaders’ Quest, which focuses on responsible leadership.
Fields thrives on bringing together different perspectives to achieve bold ambitions. From her earliest days in social enterprise through to her corporate board experience, she has played a leading role in different organisations, working to improve their environmental and social policies with positive outcomes valued by society. Fields has long been a champion for diversity and inclusion in all forms and believes in the power of ‘belonging’ to enrich lives.
Her career and ability to operate at the highest level have been underpinned by one thing – her love of horses and the equine interactions that are the ‘oxygen and sanity’ for her professional success. A lifelong equestrian, Fields enjoys hacking in the Wiltshire countryside as much as she loves riding a great test at a competition or simply spending time with her horse, Gabriel. As with most people who love horses, juggling work and her equestrian pursuits has always been a challenge, but one she considers well worth it. She loves training and competing and has ridden as an amateur with British Dressage, including regional championships and teams.
Fields will take over from Malcolm Wharton CBE, who was appointed Interim Chairman in October 2019. His leadership through the Covid pandemic and complexities of Brexit gave British Equestrian much needed stability and he was then formally appointed for a four-year term in February 2021. Malcolm made the difficult decision not to stand for a second term in late 2023 and the search for a new Chair began with agency Perrett Laver.
“We’re delighted to welcome Fields Wicker-Miurin on board,” commented Malcolm. “Her exceptional CV makes for impressive reading but to interact with her is where you really get a feel of her talent as a skilled leader, motivator of people and strong strategic mind.
“Her track record speaks for itself in terms of business acumen and when combined with a clear love of horses and passion for equestrian sport, she makes for the perfect candidate, we’re very fortunate to have her. I couldn’t be handing the role over to anyone better placed to shape and bring about a new strategy to deliver a viable, sustainable and successful future for British Equestrian,” he continued.
Speaking on her appointment, Fields commented: “It’s a huge privilege to be asked to lead British Equestrian at this exciting time, when so much has been done over the past few years under Malcolm’s leadership, and with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games rapidly approaching this summer. It’s also a big responsibility. British Equestrian is developing our next strategic plan which will need to address a range of issues facing the equestrian world, as well as take full advantage of the incredible opportunities we have before us at all levels of the sport and how we engage with and care for horses.
“We have a strong executive team working well under the leadership of our CEO, Jim Eyre, and a committed and passionate board. I am looking forward to listening to and working with our excellent member bodies as we develop our plans. The future of equestrianism is truly exciting, and I can’t wait to be a part of shaping it so that horses and everyone involved with them can thrive,” she added.
Press release supplied be British Equestrian.