Paul Bush OBE, the Director of Events at VisitScotland who boasts vast experience in the world of sports administration, has been appointed as the new Chair of British Curling.
Currently the Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, a position he has held for the past eight years, his career has also encompassed a successful stint as Chief Executive of Scottish Swimming before he joined EventScotland.
Bush spent seven years as EventScotland’s Chief Operating Officer before moving to his current role in 2013 and was awarded an OBE for services to Commonwealth Sport in the 2007 New Year’s Honours List having been Chef de Mission to what was the most successful Scotland team at an overseas Commonwealth Games the previous year. 
He joins British Curling as it moves into a new era following the successes of 2022 when it produced the only athletes to win medals for Team GB at the Winter Olympics in Beijing and brings valuable expertise as the organisation looks to build on that with confidence and ambition.
His track record includes securing the funding which brought about the creation of the National Swimming Academy that has housed a renaissance in Scottish swimming and overseeing the feasibility study ahead of Scotland’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
He also led bids that brought the 2018 European Championships, World Gymnastics 2015 and 2019 Solheim Cup to Scotland, and has been central to ensuring that Scotland regularly hosts The Open Golf Championship and most recently secured £50 million of funding to bring the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland later this year.
Away from the sporting arena he also contributed to the delivery of one of Scotland’s most successful tourism projects, Homecoming Scotland and works alongside key events such as Edinburgh Festivals, attracting 4.5million visitors per annum and the world-renowned Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations.
Based in Scotland for the past 25 years, Bush has meanwhile developed a strong understanding of curling’s importance north of the border, as a home-grown sport which boasts the unique status of hosting an Olympic and Paralympic programme in Scotland. He will draw on his experience having worked with teams at Olympic, World, and European level with British Swimming.
His track record in directing and leading the major events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, which incorporates an emphasis on the benefits of social change, also fits well with British Curling’s broader strategic goals of continuing to pursue inclusivity while raising the profile of the sport across the UK and globally.
“I am delighted to accept the role as Chair of British Curling,” said Bush.
“It will be a real privilege to work with such an iconic and exciting Olympic and Paralympic sport, that is so important to both Team GB and Scotland.
“I look forward to working with the Board and all of the team as they strive to build on the success of the last Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and focus on realising their ambitions at Milan-Cortina 2026.”
In welcoming him to the role John Harris, who has chaired the Board on an interim basis for the second time, but will now remain involved as a Senior Independent Director, said the new Chair’s recruitment spoke to the prestige of the position.
“Following a rigorous process Paul emerged as an outstanding candidate whose knowledge of both the domestic and global sporting scene means he is ideally suited to leading our efforts to further develop the sport,” said Harris.
“The last Olympic cycle was one of huge learning for our organisation, ultimately resulting in magnificent success, not only at the Beijing Games, but at World and European Championships as well as World Juniors. However everyone involved in British Curling believes that we have only just begun to maximise the benefits gained from the creation of the National Curling Academy, which was the result of exceptional interaction with a number of partners and Paul is perfectly placed to continue that process.”
Those partners include UK Sport, which provides the majority of the funding for the British Curling programme and its Chair, Dame Katherine Grainger, who was on the nominations committee for the post, said she believed Bush’s appointment would serve the sport well.
“It was a pleasure to be involved in the recruitment for the new Chair of British Curling. Congratulations to Paul Bush for being appointed to the role, he will bring a huge amount of knowledge and expertise to the role.
“All of us at UK Sport are looking forward to working together with Paul to support the ongoing success of British Curling and our brilliant athletes.”