British Cycling names House of Fraser chief Frank Slevin as new chairman

Slevin, who will continue to be the retail giant's executive chair, replaces Jonathan Browning, who chose not to stand for re-election last year.

Browning's decision followed a bruising 18 months for the Manchester-based organisation after it was the subject of bullying allegations and an UK Anti-Doping investigation.

Those crises have led to a significant overhaul in personnel at British Cycling, which has appointed a new chief executive, performance director, head of medicine and several new coaches and directors in the last 12 months.

In a statement, Belfast-born Slevin said: "It is a great privilege to have been chosen to support the leadership team in British Cycling as we look to a new era for the sport and for every cyclist in the country.

"I bring a long-held passion for cycling, combined with a career that has been committed to helping organisations maintain high performance and manage change, while upholding the best standards of governance.

"I believe British Cycling is at a crossroads in terms of the standards of governance now expected, and in particular the way elite athletes are supported.

"At the same time, I want British Cycling to work with everyone across the sector, as we look to live up to our ambition to be a world-class governing body and a leading cycling nation."

One of the 54-year-old's former jobs was with British Cycling's main sponsor HSBC in the United States and Asia but he has also held senior roles with retailers Brookstone and Hamleys.

A keen amateur cyclist, Slevin told reporters in Manchester that he started as a mountain biker but now enjoys road cycling and watched last year's Tour de France when it passed near his holiday home in the Dordogne.

Slevin's role at British Cycling will be part-time and unpaid.

British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington said: "We are thrilled to be able to confirm the recruitment of Frank - his background and the insight and experience he will bring from beyond the world of sport will be an enormous asset as British Cycling looks to a future where our country can truly count itself as a great cycling nation."