Found: Britainís new tennis leaders

The new team to lead British tennis has been announced today by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), following a worldwide search and months of interviews led by headhunters, Rockpools.

The new team is:

ï Head of Technical Support ñ Steven Martens
ï Head of Sport Science ñ Dr Ann Quinn
ï Head of Menís Tennis ñ Paul Hutchins
ï Head Coach (Menís) ñ Paul Annacone
ï Head of Womenís Tennis ñ Carl Maes
ï Head Coach (Womenís) ñ Nigel Sears
ï Head of County and Club Relations ñ Caroline Blincoe

Mike Bain, currently Managing Director of Bolton Arena will take on the role of National Tennis Centre Director. Other roles will be announced later.

Roger Draper, Chief Executive of the LTA said: ìWe asked for ìworld-classî and that is what we have. The real job starts now for the team. Our new ëwinningí vision will only be achieved if we all pull together and make sure we bring about real change across British tennis. I am very much looking forward to welcoming them all to the LTA,î he said.

This assignment further strengthens Rockpoolsí position as one of the UKís leading executive resourcing firms for the sporting sector, following previous successful searches for other sporting bodies, including the Olympic Delivery Authority and Sport England.

David Fielding MBE, four-time Aikido World Champion and ex-Guinness World Record Holder, heads the Rockpoolsí sports practice and led the search for the LTAís new leadership team. ìIt was an exciting and challenging assignment and we are thrilled to have provided the LTA with a strong field of outstanding individuals to lead British tennis,î he said.

Hamish Davidson, Chairman and Senior Partner at Rockpools said today:

ìThere can be few more desirable outcomes than to receive personal acknowledgement, recognition and thanks from a client for a job well done. It is just icing on the cake, as with our work for the Olympic Delivery Authority, when you know that you can also look back in the years to come and feel ñ ëyes, I was there and I had a hand in how this all came aboutí.

ìWell, in the years to come, as we watch British tennis transform itself, our team here at Rockpools have justifiably earned the right to take particular pride in knowing, absolutely, that each has played their own very personal role in helping to achieve that outcome.î

The new team will be in place for the move to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton in early 2007.