Joy Johnston

Joy Johnston (formerly Joy Tottman) is a governance professional with a diverse and impressive background.12 She currently serves as the Head of Governance and Operations at The Premier League Charitable Fund, leveraging her expertise in organizational management and sports governance.2

Career Highlights

Sports Governance:: Prior to her current role, Joy worked as a Governance Manager at Sport England. In this position, she was responsible for ensuring that national governing bodies of sport funded by Sport England were well-governed and fit to receive public funds.1

Olympic Referee:: Joy has a remarkable background in ice hockey. She served as an Olympic Ice Hockey referee, participating in three Winter Olympics. Her career in officiating culminated at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, where she refereed the gold medal women's ice hockey final.1

Ice Hockey Leadership:: After retiring from competitive refereeing, Joy remained involved in the sport. She took on the roles of Chief Referee and Director of Officiating for the Ice Hockey UK Referee Section.1

Education and Early Career

• Academic Achievement: Joy excelled academically, achieving straight A grades in her A Levels.1
• Oxford University: She went on to study Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Oxford University, an experience she describes as life-changing.1
• Early Professional Experience: After graduating, Joy began her career as a researcher for a headhunting firm, gaining valuable experience in organizational structures and leadership recruitment.1

Personal Life

Through her involvement in international ice hockey, Joy met her husband Scott Johnston, a player for the Canadian national team.1

Joy's career trajectory demonstrates a strong commitment to sports governance, combining her passion for athletics with her expertise in organizational management and leadership.