British Cycling Ventures has announced the appointment of two new members of its commercial leadership team to support the organisation’s growth.
Claire Humphris joins the company as Chief Marketing Officer, whilst James Glover takes up the role of Head of Business Development.
British Cycling Ventures is the commercial vehicle established by British Cycling to oversee and support commercial activity across the organisation, with a particular focus on expanding and elevating its events portfolio. Both new roles sit at the heart of the organisation’s ambition to unlock new commercial opportunities, diversify revenue streams, and scale up its portfolio of assets, partnerships, and events.
According to British Cycling, the appointments add senior expertise and capacity to take a more outward-facing and commercially agile approach. This supports the wider commitment of the national governing body to grow the sport, enhance fan and participant experiences, and ensure its assets and events deliver a sustained impact.
Claire Humphris adds leadership responsibility for marketing strategy, brand, audience growth, and customer engagement. As one of the six co-founding partners of Iris, an integrated agency that grew into an international network, she has over 25 years of experience in marketing strategy and integrated campaign delivery.
Her recent work within British Cycling as a Sports Marketing Consultant has seen her lead on multiple products across a range of different audiences. These include the Lloyds Tour of Britain, the Lloyds BMX Freestyle Creator Showdown, and a new programme to tackle barriers for people who want to cycle more, which is launching this summer.
On her appointment as Chief Marketing Officer, Claire Humphris said “I’m immensely proud to be appointed as Chief Marketing Officer. Having worked with British Cycling this past year, I know of the talent and ability we already have across the organisation, and I’m confident we will be able to drive a substantial impact in the coming years. There’s a real opportunity to strengthen how we connect with fans, partners and participants, and to create a more compelling value proposition for what British Cycling means to people.”
James Glover’s appointment as Head of Business Development reinforces the focus of British Cycling Ventures on revenue growth, strategic partnerships, and commercial innovation. In this role, he will lead efforts to develop the potential of the organisation’s assets, driving commercial growth across sponsorships, events, and hospitality offerings, whilst expanding into new ventures.
Glover joins the business from the EFL, bringing over 12 years of commercial experience in the sports industry. His career began at Lord’s Cricket Ground with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), where he spent over eight years, progressing to lead the sales team, including for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
In 2023, he joined the English Football League (EFL) as Senior Business Development Manager, where he was responsible for driving new business across commercial verticals to support revenue growth for the league and its 72 member clubs.
On his appointment as Head of Business Development, James Glover said “It’s a privilege to be appointed as the Head of Business Development, and I’m very much looking forward to getting started in the role. British Cycling is an established, well-respected brand, and there’s significant potential to further our growth in the coming years.”
Speaking on both appointments, Darren Henry, Managing Director of British Cycling Ventures, said “Claire and James bring outstanding experience, energy and commercial expertise to British Cycling Ventures at a hugely important time for the business. The strength of the candidate field for both roles was exceptional, but both stood out immediately through their track record, leadership and vision.
“As we continue to evolve the commercial arm of British Cycling, their appointments will strengthen our ability to grow existing and new revenue streams, deepen partnerships and maximise the value of our events, assets and audience”.
British Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in Great Britain, governing and developing the sport from grassroots participation through to supporting the riders representing Great Britain on the international stage.
