The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) is happy to announce the appointment of Joanna Cook to its Safeguarding Commission.
Joanna Cook brings with her a wealth of experience from the elite sporting world, with a proven track record in high-performance leadership, pathway development, and safeguarding. She currently serves as the Performance Lead for British Handball and British Volleyball, where she oversees UK Sport-funded programmes, driving performance progression and leading on safeguarding policies to ensure a safe, inclusive, and athlete-focused environment.
In her role, Cook has been instrumental in shaping professional structures within national governing bodies, with a focus on operational efficiency and long-term sustainability. Her contributions have consistently elevated the standards of athlete development across a wide range of Olympic disciplines.
Throughout her career, Cook has held senior roles across several sports, including British Taekwondo, where she helped establish a centralized high-performance academy that laid the groundwork for Team GB’s first-ever Olympic taekwondo medal at Beijing 2008. Her leadership also extended to British Swimming, where she managed the British Water Polo World Class Programme through to the London 2012 Games, and British Fencing, where she secured increased Sport England funding and redesigned the national athlete development pathway.
Cook’s appointment to the IMMAF Safeguarding Commission marks another step forward in IMMAF’s ongoing efforts to uphold the highest standards of athlete protection. Her expertise will support IMMAF in further embedding safeguarding into every level of the sport, from grassroots through to elite amateur competition.
