A former international athlete, Jonathan represented his country in the 400m, whilst balancing his studies and early work in sport. He also played professional football, giving him first-hand insight into the dedication and resilience required to perform at the highest standards across multiple sports.
After moving into education, Jonathan designed the pioneering Second Chance educational pathways for sport. This model, which began as a Football Learning Academy, has since been adopted by every Football League club in the UK, creating opportunities for thousands of young people to combine education with professional pathways in sport. His vision transformed how football clubs engage with learners and set a national standard for sport-focused education.
Jonathan also played a central role in shaping one of the most successful Olympic Legacy programmes in the UK. As a charity owner, he helped remove barriers to participation by making sport accessible and free to communities across London. This programme delivered record levels of engagement, including pioneering initiatives to address gender inequality in sport, ensuring that the Olympic spirit was carried forward into grassroots opportunities for all.
Today, Jonathan serves at the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), where he leads on sport strategies, policy implementation, and elite performance models. His work directly supports ADEK’s three-year vision for sport: embedding wellbeing and participation into everyday student life, building pathways from mass participation to talent identification, advancing inclusion through Unified Sports and developing elite athletes.
Across every role, Jonathan has stayed true to one mission: to create lasting opportunities through sport. From competing in international athletics to designing groundbreaking education and participation models, his career reflects the belief that sport can change lives and that true legacy is built by opening doors for others.