The Magenta Project welcomes new board members to help advance equity and inclusion in sailing

by The Magenta Project 21 Jan 07:28 PST

The Magenta Project welcomes new board members to help advance equity and inclusion in sailing © The Magenta Project

The Magenta Project, a global leader in advancing equity and inclusion in sailing, with a focus on gender, has announced the appointment of new board members, bringing a wealth of experience from the world's of sailing and business and ensuring the organisation remains at the forefront of empowering women in the sport.

Soco Núñez de Cela (ESP) and Holly Cova (GBR) have been appointed co-chairs of the board, while Bruno Dubois (FRA), Cole Brauer (USA), Rosalin Kuiper (NED), Annie Lush (GBR), Ayme Sinclair (NGR / USA) and Jane Millman (USA) join as board members.

Soco Núñez de Cela, a seasoned marketing executive with a background in international brands, leads as The Magenta Project's new Chair of the Board. Soco's career spans global giants like Burger King UK, where she led innovative marketing strategies.

Joining Soco as co-Chair is Holly Cova, Team Director of Team Malizia, one of the world's leading offshore racing teams. Holly brings her extensive expertise in managing high-performance sailing teams at the highest levels of the sport, as well as her passion for advancing female sailors in traditionally male-dominated spaces.

"We are really excited to drive The Magenta Project forward and to build upon the great work that has already been done", said Soco Núñez de Cela. "The calibre of the new faces joining the board is a testament to the potential we have ahead of us and I'm incredibly excited to see what we can do together in order to create more equity and diversity within the world of racing sailing."

This newly appointed leadership team takes over from Jonquil Hackenberg, who recently completed her successful tenure as Chair.

The Magenta Project is also honoured to welcome Cole Brauer, the first American woman to race non-stop solo around the world, and Rosalin Kuiper, co-skipper in The Ocean Race 2023 and the first female skipper announced for The Ocean Race Europe 2025 as skipper of Team Holcim-PRB.

In addition, the board is further strengthened by the appointment of Bruno Dubois, who brings his vast wealth of experience and expertise from his leadership roles in SailGP, the Ocean Race and America's Cup.

Annie Lush is also making her return to the organisation. She was a member of the all-female 'Team SCA,' which successfully competed in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race and co-founded The Magenta Project shortly after, in 2015.

Ayme Sinclair completes The Magenta Project board. Currently Vice President of The Women's Sailing Association, CEO of Women Who Sail, and Founder of Sailing Noire, Ayme has been a keen sailor for ten years. She is deeply committed to initiatives aimed at enabling those who normally wouldn't have the tools to learn how to sail, mainly in Africa and in the US.

Earlier this summer, Jane Millman joined the Board as Chair of the Programmes Committee. As former Director of Sail Training at the US Naval Academy and member of US Sailing's National Faculty for Education Programs, Jane brings sailing industry expertise at a grassroots and national development level and will play an integral role in the advancement of Magenta global programmes, including the Mentoring programme as well as workshops and clinics around the world.

The Magenta Project is proud to have the continued support of its returning board members, Andrew Pindar, Omer Brand, Bernard Schopfer, Anne-Cecile Turner, and Tim Lemeer - all of whom have been instrumental in shaping the organisation's vision and ongoing initiatives.

With this dynamic and experienced board at the helm and plans to expand its reach by bringing in new executive-level talent to enhance operational capabilities, The Magenta Project remains dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusivity, and leadership opportunities for women in the sailing industry.

As the organisation looks to expand its programs and initiatives, there is an exciting call to action for more partner organisations. The Magenta Project invites corporate sponsors, sailing teams, national programmes, and NGOs to join forces in advancing these goals and fostering a more inclusive future for the sport.

For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact: contact@themagentaproject.org

The Magenta Project Board 2025