Geoff Thompson has a 40-year track record in the social and human development of young people and communities through sport. As a five times world karate champion, sports administrator and politician, he has realised a unique range of skill sets that have seen him advise, develop and deliver social and human project and programme initiatives with a specific emphasis on the balance between corporate social responsibility and legacy benefits to young people and communities globally.
Geoff has also undertaken a number of public and private sector appointments developing and contributing to equity, diversity and inclusion at all levels of society nationally and internationally. His roles have included Chairman of the Sport England’s Advisory Group on Racial Equality in Sport, A Member of its Grant Assessment Panel, a Director of the Sports Council Trust Company, Member of Sport England and Board Member of the New Opportunities Fund. Geoff is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and served as an Independent Assessor for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for ten years.
As a Director of the Pursuit of Excellence Limited, Geoff motivates and inspires leading executives, middle management and corporate work forces of Corporate Social Responsibility policies and strategies and the implementation of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. Assignments have included: BP, Shell Oil Company, Marks and Spencer, Ford Motor Company, Royal Bank of Scotland, Financial Dynamics, Warburg Dillon, Littlewoods plc, Business in the Community, World Bank, Bank of England, Talk Talk, Vodafone, Vodacom South Africa, the Guardian Media Group and the Relentless Group. He has also advised the Local Government Association, ILAM, CIMSPA, as well as local authorities throughout the UK on the issues of youth and community policy and strategies, development and cohesion,
He is the Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, (www.youthcharter.co.uk), a UK-based international charity and United Nations Non-Governmental Organisation, which, for 31 years has worked in the sport for development and peace movement in communities of historical deprivation and disadvantage globally.
Geoff is a Member of the Board of the London Legacy Development Corporation and a Member of the Muhammad Ali Center International Committee, Louisville, USA, Advisor to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Chair of the Operational Board of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Chair of the London Youth Games and a Board Member of HMC. Former roles have included Member of the Windrush National Monument Committee, Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of East London, and Deputy Chair of the highly successful Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In 1995 Geoff was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sport. He recently received the Institute of Directors NW Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice. In 2008 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law (honoris causa) from the University of Roehampton and in 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship to the University of Central Lancashire, in 2013 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Education (DEd) from the Manchester Metropolitan University and in 2014 he received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters from the University of Wolverhampton. In 2022, Geoff was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his work in public service and was also a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester and has been inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Geoff was included in the Top 100 BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Leaders in Business List, in association with the Sunday Times and was named in the Evening Standard’s top 1000 influencers in London. Geoff was awarded an honorary professorship of the International Business School at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China in 2019.
