CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CANDIDATE BRIEF
BACKGROUND Page 1 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was established on January 1 1997 as the single national governing body for all cricket in England and Wales. It has its headquarters at Lord s Cricket Ground in London. The formation of the ECB was the culmination of a drive towards creating, for the first time, one unified body responsible for the management and development of every form of cricket for men and women. This included clubs, schools, juniors and youth, disabilities cricket, representative, first-class and international cricket - the whole game from playground to the Test arena. In April 1998 the Women s Cricket Association (WCA) was also integrated into the organisation. The past decade has seen the most successful period of development, playing success and growth for cricket in England and Wales with three strategic plans, Building Partnerships, Grounds to Play and Champion Counties providing the blueprint for the success not only of England teams but also the ECB Board, County and recreational structures. The England men s team completed three successive Ashes wins in 2013, won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2010 and reached Number 1 World Ranking in all three formats between 2011 and 2014. The side is now entering a transitional period under a new Managing Director, Head Coach and Chairman of Selectors, but the pipeline of talent coming through the counties and the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough augurs well for a positive future.
BACKGROUND Page 2 The professional game in England and Wales continues to receive high levels of investment and support from the ECB with comprehensive redevelopments having taken place at most county grounds in recent years enabling counties to drive further their match-day and non matchday revenue streams. An increased focus on customer engagement has resulted in substantial increases in county attendances with year-onyear crowds up by 76% in 2013 for the T20 group stages. A new fixture schedule in 2014 with regular appointments to view has seen further increases this year. Women s cricket is enjoying a period of unprecedented exposure and success after the England team became the dominant force in international women s cricket including the securing of back to back Ashes victories in 2013/14. With participation numbers continuing to rise, payment of leading players and a ground-breaking new sponsor on board, women s cricket is in excellent shape. The widening involvement of women and girls, the disabled and ethnic minorities in cricket continues to be one of the sport s success stories. Substantial investment continues to be made in grassroots cricket, working in partnership with Chance to Shine, the charity which promotes cricket in state schools. Also the ECB s Kwik cricket programme for primary school children saw a 27.5% increase in 2013 with nearly 150,000 children taking part. Commercial revenues have grown over the past decade through the acquisition of a number of new sponsors and a much improved broadcast deal with turnover of the organisation reaching more than 120 million in 2013. The recent changes in the funding and governance structures for the global game will enable all countries to receive greater investment in the years ahead from major events.
THE POSITION Page 3 The key responsibilities of the role are as follows: To play an active role on the ECB Board, developing and then implementing the strategy for the future development of cricket in England and Wales. To foster a creative, open and transparent culture throughout the organisation with high levels of innovation, energy and unity of purpose. Develop strong and long lasting relationships with all the key stakeholders in the game including the first class counties, the recreational game, Team England, the National Cricket Performance Centre, the MCC, the PCA, the ICC, and Government. Play a lead role in the corporate governance of the ECB working closely with the Executive Committee, Cricket Committee, Audit and Risk Management Committee, Commercial Committee and Remuneration Committee. To manage, mentor and develop the ECB s Senior Management Team, delegating responsibility effectively and enabling all managers to lead high performing and positive departments. To work closely with the Chairman on all international activities to represent the ECB s interests overseas, forging strong and effective working relationships at the ICC and with senior figures in international cricket administration. To champion and publicise the game of cricket in England and Wales in its widest sense and including men s, women s and disabilities cricket at both professional and recreational levels, inspiring new participants and supporters alike. To work closely with Government, building broad and positive relationships with the Sports Minister, DCMS, Sport England and UK Sport to represent, influence, promote and protect the interests of cricket. To drive revenues, working with the commercial department to maximise income and building effective and lasting partnerships with sponsors and broadcasters. To take a proactive lead in the international fight to maintain cricket s integrity and ensuring that the ECB have the most robust anti-corruption and anti-doping policies.
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CANDIDATE PROFILE Page 5 The Board are looking to appoint an ambitious, inspirational leader who will be an exceptional communicator and ambassador. This role requires a complex mix of statesmanship, energy and drive to build the appeal and brand of cricket and to promote the work of the ECB across a broad range of areas. This is a high profile leadership position and candidates must therefore demonstrate the experience, stature and leadership skills required for this appointment. A passion for the game of cricket is vital. Whilst previous cricketing or sports administrative experience would be advantageous, it is not essential. It is important that candidates fully appreciate the international dimension of the role and therefore the travel demands of this position. Technical Experience Required Previous full P&L management experience in a multidisciplinary environment. Financially astute. A proven track record of building and developing successful brands and businesses. A strong understanding of the complexities of the commercial, political and operational aspects of leading a sports governing body. Personal Characteristics and Profile Versatile, confident and persuasive leader, capable of building relationships with multiple stakeholders. Driven by outstanding performance and high customer service standards. Commitment and persistence to achieve goals within a challenging environment and the ability to prioritise and juggle conflicting demands. Possessing a range of influencing skills and able to adapt communication style to the audience. Politically astute with maturity and gravitas in terms of presentational style and behaviour. A hands-on style, with considerable personal credibility and authority. Outstanding people management skills in order to get the best out of a team. A passion for cricket.
REMUNERATION Page 6 The successful candidate will be offered a base salary commensurate with experience and reflecting the demands and seniority of this role. A performance bonus will also form part of the successful candidate s remuneration. It is anticipated that this structure could comprise a number of different components, including individual and team targets. A generous benefits package is also available.
Founded in 2001 in London as a pioneer of recruitment services specifically targeting the sports industry, Sports Recruitment International is the leading firm dedicated to the industry s constant and growing demand for executive and management talent. Our expert advisers provide search, recruitment and consulting services operating as a global team, combining deep sports sector knowledge with world-class and cutting edge talent acquisition and management practice. With offices in London, Lausanne, Singapore, Beijing, Sydney and Melbourne we can justifiably claim to be the largest search firm specialising in sport and we are proud to be the exclusive partner in this search with the ECB. For further information or to engage in a confidential discussion about the role, please contact: Jim Chaplin t: 020 7092 6950 e: jc@sportsrecruitment.com Transforming the way the sports industry works www.sportsrecruitment.com