Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) and England Ice Hockey (EIH) have confirmed that Grant King will act as Interim Chief Executive Officer in 2026, following the announcement that Henry Staelens will step down as CEO in early 2026.
King is currently Chief Operating and Development Officer at IHUK and EIH, leading day-to-day activities and supporting the delivery of strategic priorities across governance, safeguarding, finance, program operations and organizational change.
He brings extensive executive leadership experience at global organizations in Europe, Canada and the United States, with a background in talent management, governance, financial controls, business models, people strategies and complex transformation programs.
King also brings a deep understanding of the sport from the game, a former goalkeeper for Great Britain’s juniors and a former player for Slough Jets and Guildford Flames in the British National League.
“I am grateful to the boards of directors for the confidence they have placed in me,” said King. “Henry has helped make significant progress and it is important to recognize the collective effort of the board, staff, volunteers and stakeholders that has brought us to this point.
“The next six months are not just about the legal structure, they are about integration and results. We will work across organizations to align operating models, people and processes; strengthening security and integrity systems; improving financial controls and transparency; bringing greater consistency to competitions, discipline and governance frameworks; and improving communications and services for members across the sport.
“In addition, we remain focused on performance and trajectory priorities and on increasing participation. My commitment is to lead with clarity, pace and honesty, ensuring that the sport emerges stronger, more connected and more resilient.”
Clifton Wrottesley, Chairman of Ice Hockey UK, said: “Grant brings continuity, credibility and a strong focus on delivery at a crucial time for the sport, especially with his close working relationship with Henry over the last 18 months. We are very fortunate to have someone of Grant’s capabilities and stature to lead the next hugely exciting phase of the sport’s evolution.”
“He has played a central role in recent reforms and is well placed to lead the next phase, providing day-to-day stability as the merger and integration program progresses. I really look forward to working closely with Grant to deliver the merger that was overwhelmingly agreed to by all stakeholders. He is a brilliant successor and someone I know will take the sport forward on all fronts.”
Duncan Hough, Chairman of England Ice Hockey, commented: “Grant stepping into this role is an easy choice as he brings a high level of expertise and important continuity, in addition to his in-depth knowledge of the sport at all levels. In his current role as Chief Operating Officer, he has played a key role in strengthening our governance and standards and I very much look forward to working even more closely with him in the future.”
Henry Staelens will continue to support the sport as a Strategic Commercial Consultant, with an emphasis on commercial development and partnership opportunities. If you missed the full news article yesterday, you can read it here.
Further updates will be provided in due course as the organizations progress through the next steps of the merger and integration programme.
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