Holt previously served as BABA programme director and helped mastermind Britain's successful performance at London 2012 where they won five medals with super heavyweight Anthony Joshua, bantamweight Luke Campbell and female flyweight Nicola Adams all taking gold, welterweight Fred Evans picking up silver and middleweight Anthony Ogogo claiming bronze.

Holt has now been appointed to the newly created role of chief executive where he will be responsible for the leadership of the organisation and the overall management of the World Class Performance Programme for boxing.

He will work closely with the BABA performance director, Rob McCracken, to help Britain build on their successful London 2012 performance in the lead up to Rio 2016.

BABA chairman Derek Mapp revealed that the Board decided to appoint a chief executive in the lead up to Rio 2016 following a funding boost from UK Sport.

Boxing proved one of the biggest winners in UK Sport's Rio 2016 funding announcement as it received £13.8 million ($22.4 million/€16.9 million) for the 2013-2017 cycle compared to the £9.5 million ($15.5 million/€11.7 million) it received for 2009-2013.

It marks a £4.25 million ($6.9 million/€5.2 million) or 44.5 per cent increase in funding - more in percentage terms than any other sport.

"Following an increase in funding from UK Sport, the World Class Programme for boxing is expanding for the Rio Cycle and the Board felt it was the right time to appoint a chief executive to oversee all aspects of the organisation," said Mapp.

"Matthew has a superb track record of delivery in high performance sport and this made him the outstanding candidate for the new role.

"He has been an integral part of the organisation's success over the last four years and has the vision, skills and capabilities to take the BABA on to the next level as it looks to build on the fantastic achievements of the boxers and the World Class Programme in the build-up to and at the London 2012 Olympics."

Holt will now take on overall responsible for the administration of the World Class Programme, the financial management of the BABA and relationships with commercial partners and key stakeholders including the British Olympic Association (BOA), UK Sport and the amateur boxing associations of England, Scotland and Wales.

"The GB Boxing team performed outstandingly at London 2012 to finish as the leading nation and we have a great challenge ahead of us to sustain that level of performance in the future," said Holt.

"We have an outstanding team of coaches and support staff, led by Rob McCracken, and the ambition is to retain our position as a leading boxing nation and continue to deliver a world class programme that enables our boxers to fulfil their best potential."

Holt joined the BABA in May 2009 as the programme director and was team manager for boxing at the men's European Championships in 2010 and 2011, the men and women's World Championships in 2011 and 2012 and the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Prior to joining the BABA, Holt worked at Sport England where he managed investment in eight sports.

The BABA is now in the process of recruiting a performance pathway manager and a coach development manager to facilitate and improve the linkages between the elite level and grassroots boxing and to help to develop a pool of coaches with skills and capabilities to support the GB Boxing programme.

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