Advertising industry leader Jason Cobbold will succeed Rory Tapner as Chair of GB Snowsport when the latter formally steps down from his post at the organisation’s 2023 AGM.

Jason, who leads creative agency BMB as Chief Executive, in a role he has held since 2018, will serve an initial four-year term and will join the GB Snowsport board with immediate effect. His appointment will then go to the membership for official ratification at the AGM in October 2023, alongside the earlier appointments of Independent Non-Executive Directors Greg Bennett and Michael Oesterlin. 

A fixture of the advertising, branding, and marketing sector for the past three decades, Jason has extensive experience of working alongside major sport industry brands, and currently sits as a member of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Commercial Leadership Committee. His contributions to the IPA over the years have spanned the development of commercial and client best practice and a number of key industry-wide training programmes.

An avid skier and keen marathon runner, Jason has also been a long-time supporter of GB Snowsport providing advice and counsel through BMB on numerous occasions in recent years.

As Chair, Jason will lead the GB Snowsport board as it works to support the organisation’s continued growth and progress, building upon the most successful season in the country’s history of elite snowsport and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders, both within and beyond the snowsport sector.

Commenting on his appointment, Jason Cobbold said:

“This is a moment of enormous potential for snowsport in Great Britain. I’m thrilled to be working with the board and the team at GB Snowsport, with UK Sport, the BOA, the BPA, FIS, and all our partners to translate this into success on the World, Olympic, and Paralympic stage. As a lifelong fan of all sport on snow, this is a wonderful role to be taking on. I would like to thank the outgoing Chair, Rory Tapner, for his leadership, and I look forward to the next chapter in our story.”

Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, said:

“Jason is a terrific appointment for our organisation and our sport, and I’m hugely looking forward to working with him over the course of his term. Anyone who speaks with Jason will immediately know his passion for snowsport, and his experience of business growth and stakeholder management will be hugely valuable to us as we move forward. I’d also like to pay tribute to Rory Tapner, who has been such a passionate and committed leader for GB Snowsport for the whole of his tenure.”

Rory tapner, outgoing GB Snowsport Chair, said:

“It has been a huge privilege to chair GB Snowsport over the past 8 years, and see the progression of our world class athletes and coaches across all our disciplines, including our para disciplines.  In handing the reins to Jason Cobbold I feel confident he is exactly the right candidate to lead the organisation to greater heights over the coming years.”

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, added:

“I’d like to congratulate Jason on his appointment as the new Chair of GB Snowsport. It’s an exciting time to be joining the Olympic and Paralympic family, with Milan-Cortina 2026 fast approaching, and winter athletes having delivered a very successful season. We all want to see Great Britain become an ever-greater force in Winter Olympic and Paralympic sport, so I look forward to working with Jason and the wider leadership team at GB Snowsport to build on the momentum already in place.”

Jason Cobbold Biography

Jason currently holds the role of CEO at advertising agency, BMB. He began there in 2018, and has led the growth and transformation of this well-known UK agency over the last four and a half years. His successes include assignments with household brands like Samsung, Nike, Innocent and Allianz, as well as a host of fast growth businesses. His agency’s work is widely recognised in the industry, and includes a number of international Cannes Lions awards for impact and creativity.

Before BMB, Jason’s career covered spells at some of the world’s most famous creative businesses such as BMP, HHCL and Bartle Bogle Hegarty. He has consulted and developed work with clients across a range of sectors from sport to tech and household goods, including companies such as Nike, Renault, Diageo, Unilever and Vodafone. More recently, Jason set up the London consultancy business, Redscout, where he built a successful strategy and innovation offering for the UK market with clients like Pernod Ricard, Allbirds, PepsiCo, and Warner Brothers.

Jason is a long-standing contributor to the advertising industry through the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). He is a member of IPA Commercial Leadership Committee, leading the publication and PR for various reports on industry best practice. He has also led a number of industry wide training and mentorship programmes.

Beyond the IPA, Jason plays a role advising growth tech businesses with one foot in the advertising space.

Jason is an avid fan of snow sports. He learnt to ski on the dry slopes of Rossendale, became a guide in France, fell in love with the ski movies of Greg Stump, and even had a stint racing for Bourgoin Ski Club in France (without much success, it must be said). His passion for the sport has extended through life and he now supports his two children, Mia and Jack, in their love of the sport. When he isn’t in the Alps, Jason is a keen player of the game of “Go” (he was a former junior champion in the UK) and is a lifelong supporter of Arsenal FC, and Islington Boxing Club.