Ian Watmore announces Board updates as ECB welcome him as Chair

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today welcomes Ian Watmore into the role of Chair as he begins his tenure by announcing a series of Board updates.

Ian was officially confirmed as Chair at the ECB Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June. Following a handover and onboarding process, he begins the role today, succeeding Colin Graves CBE after a successful five-year tenure that saw England lift two ODI ICC Cricket World Cups, as well as securing a record £1.1billion media rights deal.

The Board updates announced by Ian today are the result of a thorough consultation between the Board and Executive Management Team. They are designed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Lord Kamlesh Patel as Senior Independent Director and Deputy Chair. They will also further enhance the Board’s cricket, finance, governance, and strategic capacity.

The updates to the ECB Board include:

• Brenda Trenowden will take over as the Board’s Senior Independent Director. She will also chair the expanded Environmental, Social and Governance sub-committee.
• Barry O’Brien will take over as Deputy Chair and will also act as the Alternate Director to represent the ECB on the ICC Board when required.
• Alan Dickinson will chair an enhanced Finance, Audit and Risk sub-committee of the Board.
• A process to recruit a new Independent Director will commence during September with new appointments being made by 1 November 2020.
• Derek Brewer’s term as Board Advisor on Network Stakeholders will be extended to the 2021 AGM.

In addition, Sir Andrew Strauss has accepted an invitation to attend Board meetings in a non-voting capacity. He, along with former England cricketer and Board member, Lucy Pearson, deepen the provision of first-hand top-level cricket input for the men’s and women’s games.

Today also marks an end to Senior Independent Director Lord Kamlesh Patel’s five-year tenure on the Board. During this time, Lord Patel was involved in a number of significant changes, most notably the creation of the 2018 action plan to engage South Asian audiences, the establishment of the ECB’s Governance Committee and his key contributions to the creation of the Inspiring Generations strategy.

Commenting, ECB’s Chair Ian Watmore said:

“I’m delighted to officially start my role as Chair today following a really informative and consultative onboarding process led by Tom Harrison and his team. I am grateful to everyone I have met at the ECB, the First Class Counties and the Recreational Game for their welcome, help and advice. It is a privilege to succeed outgoing Chair, Colin Graves, and I would like to thank him for his tremendous achievements in the role.

“I’m really pleased to announce these updates to the Board structure today, and I look forward to working with those taking on new roles and responsibilities. I am also keen to draw further on the immense skills and experiences of all the Board members as we continue to allocate leadership and sponsorship responsibilities in line with the priority areas for Inspiring Generations.”

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said:

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Ian to the ECB today. It is not easy to start a new role under the current COVID circumstances but I have no doubt that he will hit the ground running and today’s announcement evidences his dedication to deepening the capacity and strength of the ECB Board.

“Today, also marks the end of Colin Graves’s tenure. Colin’s contributions to cricket have been immense over the course of his career. From significant governance reforms to paving the way for The Hundred, working with Colin has been a huge privilege.

“I’d also like to express my gratitude to Lord Kamlesh Patel who retires from the ECB Board today. His passion for improving diversity in cricket, helping those from disadvantaged communities and bettering the mental health of young people, amongst many other achievements, is surpassed by very few. Like Colin, he will be missed by all who worked with him and I wish them both well for the future.”

ENDS

Ian Watmore – Biography

Ian Watmore has a distinguished record in sport, business and public life. Born in Kent in 1958, he has a degree in mathematics and management studies from Cambridge. A lifelong cricket fan, he played the game at school and attended his first match in 1968. His sons played at Lindow Cricket Club in Cheshire.

After beginning his career as a graduate trainee in 1980, he spent 24 years with Andersen Consulting/ Accenture. He rose to become the firm’s youngest ever UK managing partner and helped lead it to become the FT Global 500 business that Accenture is today. Between 2000 and 2004 he served as the CEO of Accenture UK.

He moved into the Civil Service and was Permanent Secretary at 10 Downing Street from 2005 to 2007, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills between 2007 and 2009, and at the Cabinet Office from 2010 to 2012. In 2016 he was appointed by The Queen to chair the Board of Civil Service Commission, a post he holds until 2021. In this role he ensures the UK team is impartial and that appointments are made openly, fairly and on merit. He has reported to five Prime Ministers.

Mr Watmore was Chief Executive of the Football Association in 2009 to 2010 and during his time there he oversaw the creation of the Women’s Super League. He went on to become a member of the England 2015 Rugby World Cup Board, and the All Schools rugby charity.