Geoff Thompson has a 35-year track record in the social and human development of young people and communities through sport. As a former 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 programme initiatives with a specific emphasis on equality, diversity inclusion and the balance between the corporate sponsorship investment and benefits to young people and communities globally.
He is the Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity and UN NGO that uses the ethics of sport and artistic excellence to tackle the problems of educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and crime in some of the most troubled areas around the world. Geoff has also held a number of private and public board appointments which include: Member of the Board of the London Legacy Development Corporation, an Advisory Board Member of the Muhammad Ali Center, based in Louisville, USA Adviser to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, and was the Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of East London for two years.
Geoff has worked on assignments for United Nations agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, WHO and the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace, FIFA, World bank, Bank of England, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Swiss Agency for Development. He has delivered policies and strategies within the bidding, hosting and legacy of major games and sporting events such as: 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, 1997 FIFA World Cup, Nagano 1998 Olympic Bid, 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, All Africa Games 1999, Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid, Commonwealth Games 2002 bid and games, Cape Town 2000 Olympic Bid, 2008 UEFA Soccer Championships, 2010 FIFA World Cup, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
In 1995 Geoff was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sport and was a Deputy Lieutenant and Queen's representative in the county of Greater Manchester. In 2019 he received the Institute of Directors NW Chairman's Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice and was included in the Top 100 BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Leaders in Business List, in association with the Sunday Times and was recently named in the Evening Standard's top 1000 influencers in London