Alliance of Sport welcomes Cozie on to Board of Trustees
Olubodunrin Tokosi – known to all as Cozie – has joined the Alliance of Sport as a Trustee.
Cozie’s varied career includes over 20 years’ senior management experience, specialising in cross-sector project leadership and business development. He excels in fostering collaborative relationships and integrating cultural and emotional intelligence.
In addition to roles in the private and voluntary sectors, Cozie has been Managing Director of the Centre of Enterprise and Employee Development (CEED). He has held various positions at Bristol City Council and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, where he witnessed first-hand how Covid-19 intensified many existing inequalities.
More recently, has served as the Programme Manager for the Office for Local Government (Oflog) programme, designed to assess the performance of local authorities.
Through his start-up, Tokosi.com, he championed energy transition projects and co-launched the Global Parliament of Mayors’ Talent City programme, aiming to uplift the youth and marginalised communities. Furthermore, Tokosi.com’s SMART City programme promoted collaboration among governments, city leaders, innovators, and urban solution experts.
Cozie is deeply passionate about wellbeing, thought leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion. He’s an enthusiast of spoken word and formerly hosted debate radio shows.
Cozie’s mission is clear: “My aim is always to empower communities and foster a sense of belonging. I’m naturally drawn to roles that are people-centric, primarily assisting others to overcome barriers and navigating challenges.”
He adds: “The reason the Alliance of Sport resonates with me is my upbringing in South London as a black child raised by my mother. I have a first-hand understanding of how one might inadvertently enter the Criminal Justice System.
“You understand people from your community and how circumstance can lead to them changing over time. You understand that despite our differences we’re all human, and sport can be a unifier. It is something people can easily understand and gives them access to discipline, role models, different kinds of people and new ways of thinking.”
Cozie concludes, “The Board at the Alliance of Sport is diverse in expertise and experience. I was quickly able to gauge their commitment and the essence of the organisation. What stands out is that members are driven not by recognition but by the genuine desire to make a difference. I’m honoured to be a part of this team.”
Cozie joins another recent recruit to the AoS Board of Trustee – former Metropolitan Police Officer and Vice-Chair of London Sport, Sally Benatar.