Tri NZ appoints new CEO

Triathlon New Zealand today have announced the appointment of Claire Beard as its Chief Executive.

In her new role, Claire will be responsible for leading and enabling the delivery of triathlon in New Zealand. She has already demonstrated exceptional leadership as Commercial Director for the last 12 months and has played an integral role in steering the organisation through a difficult financial period.
Triathlon New Zealand’s president, Arthur Klap said that interest in the position was very strong and the sport is fortunate to have had such high-quality applicants.

“We are delighted to have Claire lead the organisation and the sport of triathlon into a new phase of growth. The sport has gone through a difficult period during which time core funding has been reduced in both high performance and community delivery. Claire has helped lead us through that so that we are now in a position to build from a financially stable base. She is absolutely the right person for the role,” he said.

Claire Beard, has held several leadership positions in the sport and recreation sector across the past 10 years. She has led major legacy projects in Birmingham UK and for the Rugby World Cup. She has also delivered a number of major events, including the 2013 World Softball Championships and World Veteran Table Tennis Championships. She is currently a board member for New Zealand Softball and North Harbour Softball.

“I’ve been encouraged by the progress that’s been seen in the past few months. The triathlon community are a passionate group of people and I will focus on helping to support and grow that,” she said.

“I also want to ensure that our athletes are well supported to deliver on the world stage.”

“I’m so excited for the exciting opportunity to lead Triathlon New Zealand, and I look forward to the journey ahead,” she said.