Professor Steve Haake is a prominent sports engineering expert and the Director of Engagement at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. With a first-class degree in physics from the University of Leeds and a PhD from the University of Aston, he was awarded an OBE in 2020 for his contributions to sport. He serves on the Technical Commission of the International Tennis Federation and chairs the parkrun Research Board and the Active Travel Advisory Board for the Sheffield City Region.

Since starting as a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Sheffield in 1992, Professor Haake has significantly advanced sports engineering research. He established the Centre for Sports Engineering Research at Sheffield Hallam, the largest academic center of its kind globally, and has published over 200 journal papers and six edited books. As the Founding Director of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, he aims to apply sports technology to encourage physical activity and improve the quality of life for UK citizens through exercise as a treatment for chronic diseases.