Ian Watmore has been named as the England and Wales Cricket Board’s next Chair to succeed Colin Graves when he leaves the post in November 2020.
Watmore’s appointment as Chair-Elect has been made at this time to enable him to shadow his predecessor and ensure a smooth transition into the role. Watmore, 61, has a distinguished record across business, public life and sport with extensive experience gained from a broad range of senior positions.
He was offered the ECB position following a rigorous search and selection process run by a dedicated Nominations Committee chaired by ECB Non-Executive Director and ex-England cricketer, Lucy Pearson, and former England Captain and current Chair of the ECB Cricket Committee, Sir Andrew Strauss.
The Nominations Committee today made its recommendation to the ECB Board, which unanimously approved the choice. Watmore’s appointment will be ratified by ECB members at the AGM on 13 May. A lifelong cricket fan, Watmore will take over the role on the 1st of December. He said: “I am incredibly proud to be appointed to such a prestigious position and look forward to continuing Colin’s work and making the most of the tremendous momentum that cricket is currently enjoying.
“I feel privileged to be given this opportunity to help a sport that I care passionately about. All my life, I’ve seen the power of sport to unite communities. I look forward to working with the ECB and its stakeholders to grow the international, domestic and recreational game and make a positive difference to society.”
After graduating in maths and management science at Cambridge, Watmore rose to become the youngest ever CEO of Accenture UK. He has since held Permanent Secretary positions in the Civil Service and was appointed by The Queen in 2016 to chair the Board of Civil Service Commission, a post he will hold until 2021. He has reported to five Prime Ministers.
He has also held several senior roles within sport as both an executive director and non-executive director. He has been an independent board member of the England 2015 Rugby World Cup, Group CEO of the Football Association and a member of the board of the English Institute of Sport and the English Football League. While he was at the FA in 2009-10, he was proud to launch the Women’s Super League and the St. George’s Park project.
He also has a strong record of widening participation in grassroots sport including being a national organiser of the All Schools programme as part of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, and running a number of fundraising initiatives for community sports facilities in the south Manchester area, including at his local Lindow Cricket Club where his four sons played.
Lucy Pearson, speaking on behalf of the ECB Board, said: “Ian brings such a wealth of experience from the highest levels of business, sport and the public sector environment. With his broad skillset and deep understanding of all levels of the game, he is perfectly placed to support the ECB in delivering on our ambitions over the next five years.
“Ian has a lifelong passion for the sport and, in an incredibly strong field of candidates, he was the stand-out all-rounder.”
Mr Graves, the current Chair of the ECB, said: ‘’I am delighted that Ian has been appointed to be the next ECB Chair. When I took the post back in 2015, I could not have dreamed that the game would be in the shape it is today. The opportunity to grow cricket and bring more people into the game has never been so significant.”
