George Black has today been announced as the new Chair of Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, taking up the role with immediate effect.
Glasgow was officially confirmed earlier this week as hosts of the 23rd edition of the Games, which will be delivered by the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland.
Glasgow 2026 will take place from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 and feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor of the city.
Black was Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council from 2003 to 2014, responsible for the strategic and operational management of Council services. This involved managing a workforce of over 30,000 staff, providing advice to elected members, and running local and national elections in the Glasgow area.
During that time, Black led the city’s preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, including the construction of the Games Village and M74 Completion Project, and was a member of the Glasgow 2014 Strategic Group.
He also completed the negotiations for the Clyde Valley City Deal involving £1 billion of capital investment from the UK and Scottish Governments.
Following his retirement from the Council in 2014, Black was a member of the Coordination Commission for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games from 2015 to 2018, aiding and supporting the transfer of knowledge and expertise between Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018.
Before becoming Chief Executive, Black was Director of Financial Services where he completed the financial arrangements for the transfer of over 80,000 Council houses to the Glasgow Housing Association and negotiated a Public Private Partnership for the construction and refurbishment of all of the Council’s 29 Secondary Schools.
Black, who lives outside of Glasgow, is looking forward to the opportunity the Games bring to the city, “I am absolutely delighted to become the Chair of Glasgow 2026 and looking forward to driving the vision for Glasgow 2026 from concept to reality.
“Glasgow 2026 is set to be a fantastic festival of sport, and whilst it will look and feel different to 2014, I have no doubt it will deliver world-class sporting action and fan experience with its own Glasgow twist.
“Glasgow 2026 is a critical moment in the Commonwealth Games journey. It is a chance to set a blueprint for what is possible in future Games and to think differently. My focus will be to ensure that we deliver the very best experience for our athletes and fans, all within the timeframe and budget. Glasgow has a can-do attitude and Glasgow 2026 will have the same.”
Ian Reid CBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland said “We welcome George to his new role as Chair of Glasgow 2026 Organising Company. He is no stranger to the Commonwealth Sport movement and I have every faith in his ability to lead the Organising Company to deliver a world-class sporting event.
“George knows the city well, has a very strong track record on managing major projects – including the Glasgow 2014 Games – and is incredibly fiscally astute. Glasgow 2026 has a clear target to deliver on budget but keep the high-quality delivery that we know and love of the Commonwealth Games.
“Leading the hugely experienced team in Glasgow, George will deliver. I look forward to working with him over the next two years.”
Katie Sadleir NZOM, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Federation said, ”We are very pleased that a person with the credentials of George Black will be leading the Organising Company for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Glasgow 2026 is an exciting first step in the Commonwealth Games Federation’s journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible, and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact.
“Due to the different funding nature and timeline for these Games, the focus has been to create a Games that could be delivered to the highest quality in a financially sustainable way, designed to minimise risk and focusing on what matters most for athletes and sports – but it is still a significant task to deliver in less than two years.
”Glasgow 2026 will deliver over £100 million of inward investment into the city and is projected to support over £150 million of economic value added for the region, with a model that has been specially designed to not require public funding for the delivery of the Games. Added to that an additional multi-million-pound investment that has also been secured for upgrading public sporting facilities, alongside funding for city activation projects across the city, means it is incredibly reassuring to have someone of the calibre of Black at the helm.”
Black’s appointment is the first in a number of senior roles to be appointed as recruitment is underway for key executive roles in the organisation including:
- Non-Executive Directors
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Finance and Corporate Services Officer
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
To find out more about Glasgow 2026 and the roles available visit www.glasgow2026.com
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