UK Outdoor Industries Association appoints new chief executive
22/07/2011
In June, the OIA outlined plans to change its executive structure to reflect the organisation’s evolving role and expanding scope. In the future, the association will be run by a team comprising a part-time chief executive and a part-time communications director, who will continue to be supported by the current membership and administration manager.
Andrew Denton has been working in the outdoor sector since 1984, starting his career in outdoor education and then moved on to a series of senior management and ownership roles in major businesses such as Rohan, Mountain Equipment, Sprayway, The Peaco Group and the Outdoor Sports Company (OSC). He has built up experience in all aspects of running an outdoor enterprise and is well known and well respected within the industry. A keen outdoor activist, Denton is an accomplished mountaineer, mountain biker, ski mountaineer and triathlete. He is a member of the Alpine Club and has undertaken numerous expeditions.
At the time of the announcement, Corry Taylor, chair of the OIA, commented: “Once we made the decision to restructure the OIA’s executive team, it was essential that we appointed a chief executive with the ability to get on with the job at hand immediately. We received some very high calibre applications, but Andrew’s was particularly impressive. He outlined his clear understanding of the kind of chief executive that the association now needs, and he also demonstrated very effectively that he is the person who can offer that leadership. Everyone in the interview panel was very pleased to be able to offer Andrew the job and we look forward to working with him soon.”
For his part, Andrew Denton said: “I am enormously grateful and proud to be offered this role within the OIA. I have spent my whole life outdoors; backpacking and camping as a child, working in outdoor education and instruction, then having the good fortune to make my living with some wonderful outdoor brands. Through all that time I have retained a passion for the mountains and wild places so to have this opportunity at the OIA, to help us all grow participation and business in the outdoors across the UK, it’s my dream job. I am genuinely delighted and looking forward to the challenge.”
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