The 47-year-old will play a key role in maintaining the momentum of the Association despite reduced funding from UK Sport.

 

He said: “I’ve always wanted to get closely involved with a sporting governing body, and handball offers a really exciting challenge.

 

“I will be doing everything I can to get increased funding for the programme to support our athletes.

 

“It’s also vitally important that we work together with England Handball and Scottish Handball.

 

"In my opinion any sport which splits the grassroots away from the elite level is getting things wrong.”

 

He has been with GlaxoSmithKline since 2004, but will become Professor of Sport at the University of Bedfordshire later this year.

 

Since receiving a degree in sports science with geography from Loughborough University of Technology, Brewer has worked as head of sport science for the Football Association and then moved on to become the director of Lilleshall Sports Injury and Human Performance Centre before his move to GlaxoSmithKline.

 

Other key appointments for Buckinghamshire-based Brewer include being chairman of Sport England’s London Regional Sports Board, a post he was appointed to by the Minister of Sport and Mayor of London.

 

He has also been chairman of Pro-Active West London, a County Sport Partnership responsible for community sport in West London, and is currently a trustee of Access Sport, a charity devoted to improving access to sport for children in deprived areas.

 

He was a member of the support staff for the England football team at Italia 90, as well as with the England cricket team in Australia in 1992.

 

He is married with two daughters, and as well as being a fan of all sports, he has completed 12 London Marathons.