The role of the Vetting Panel is to decide if an Applicant or Existing Official is Eligible to be, or remain in office, as a BWF Official in accordance with the Statutes – see Appendix II of the BWF Constitution.

Officials means Council members, the BWF Referral Officer, and members of the Independent Hearing Panel and the members of the Sports Disciplinary Panel.

The Vetting Panel is comprised of three persons who are independent from the BWF with experience in vetting or screening applicants for appointments in official positions. The members of the Vetting Panel are approved by the BWF AGM for a four year term.

Vetting Panel Members

Dr. Catherine Ordway – Chair

Catherine is Assistant Professor in Sports Management at the University of Canberra.  Catherine is a sports lawyer, with degrees from the University of Adelaide and has a Graduate Diploma in Investigations Management from Charles Sturt University.  Catherine was awarded her Sports Management PhD titled “Protecting Sports Integrity: Sport corruption risk management strategies” in 2019.

Catherine is an international expert in the field of integrity in sport and has specialised in anti-doping policy for more than 20 years.  Catherine has published on sports integrity, governance and gender equality issues and is a sought-after media commentator and conference presenter.

Catherine is an affiliated scholar with the Global Institute for Responsible Sport Organizations (GIRSO), a Senior Fellow with The University of Melbourne Law School and an Expert Consultant with Sports Integrity & Governance Partners (SIGPA).

Mr. Niels Lindholm

Niels Lindholm is a compliance and integrity executive with experience and responsibilities across governance, operations, grant distribution, procurement / acquisitions and enterprise risk management.

Since 2018 Niels serves as the first Ethical Compliance Officer of World Athletics, the world governing body for the sport of athletics. In this global role, Niels designs and leads all compliance operations including vetting, due diligence, elections oversight, grant compliance, risk management, conduct, training, monitoring and reporting. He also provides expertise in the context of criminal litigation and sport arbitration when the sport’s integrity, assets or reputation are at stake.

With a background in political science and corporate investigations, Niels has handled highly sensitive matters of corruption, fraud & embezzlement, anti-trust, safeguarding and harassment. Some of these cases were very high profile and delivered under public or regulatory scrutiny.

Niels is a Member of the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (Task Force 2), since 2019, the French Athletics Federation Elections Oversight Panel (since 2020) and World Athletics’ Bid Evaluation Panel (since 2018). He has authored a number of articles and is a regular speaker about ethics and compliance implementation in high risk environments.

Mr. Masahiro Takamatsu

Masahiro Takamatsu is a Japanese attorney at Kyobashi Law Offices in Tokyo, specialising in sports and corporate governance.

He served as expert staff in charge of the Public Understanding Programme for Sports Dispute Resolution in the Japan Sports Arbitration Agency (JSAA). He currently serves as chair of several compliance committees, auditor and legal counsel of national sports federations. He has also served as arbitrator of JSAA.

As advocate, he has represented athletes and coaches in disciplinary proceedings, selection disputes and anti-doping cases, particularly before the JSAA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

He has also served as lecturer of Sports Law at JD and LL.M course of Keio University Law School in Tokyo.  He is currently a Director and Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Sports Law Association.