Mike Lee OBE

Chairman

Mike Lee is VERO Chairman, and former Director of Communications and Public Affairs for London's successful 2012 Olympic bid, where he coordinated all external relations and campaign elements of the bid, and was special adviser to bid chair Lord Sebastian Coe.

Mike was also senior advisor to the successful Rio 2016 Olympic bid, helping to devise the overall campaign and communications strategy, and played a similar role with the International Rugby Board in their campaign for the inclusion of Rugby Sevens in the Olympic Programme. Most recently he was campaign adviser to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid. He was also centrally involved in the takeover of Liverpool FC by the new American owners.

Previously he was Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Europe’s football governing body, UEFA, working on many of UEFA’s competitions, and media and political strategist for the English Premier League 1994 - 2000. He started his professional career as a parliamentary advisor. 
Mike was voted PR Week’s PR Professional of the Year in 2005 and awarded an OBE in that year’s New Year’s Honours list. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Beyond Sport, a Fellow of the RSA and in 2006 published his book "The Race for the 2012 Olympics".

He has a long and distinguished career in the business of sport and a unique track record of successful, high profile campaigns in the sector. Mike’s current clients include PyeongChang2018 Bid Committee, the Qatar Olympic Committee, the International Rugby Board and Rio 2016.