The former heptathlete has a large breadth of experience to take into her new role, including Team England leader for track and field at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and non-executive director of British Weight Lifting.

She served almost five years on the World Athletics member of gender leadership taskforce and four years as a member of the body's Women's Committee.

Sotherton has also spent close to four years at British Athletes, which involved being the chairperson of British Athletics' Anti-Doping Athlete Sub-Committee.

Current roles consist of being a consultant performance coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club and being an athletics coach.

Sotherton, now 45, represented Britain on several occasions as an athlete on the international stage, include at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.

She claimed heptathlon bronze at both events as well as another third-place medal in the 4x400 metres relay in China.

The Briton has a heptathlon bronze from the 2007 World Championships and a pentathlon silver medal from the 2008 World Indoor Championships.

Sotherton also secured a Commonwealth Games heptathlon title at Melbourne 2006.