Features

People on the move: Surrey CCC, Washington Football Team and more

Steve Elworthy has been appointed as the new chief executive of Surrey County Cricket Club after leaving his role at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Elworthy had served as managing director of events and special projects for the ECB, after previously working as managing director of the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England. He joined the ECB in 2008, initially to head up the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009. Elworthy then went on to serve as director of marketing and communications for the body in 2010 before becoming director of global events in 2013.

Elworthy’s appointment at Surrey comes after former chief executive Richard Gould stepped down from the role in May to become chief executive of Championship football club Bristol City. Charlie Hodgson has been serving as interim chief executive of Surrey since Gould’s departure.

Elworthy said: “The club is steeped in history and has deep-seated roots in the community, and I look forward to taking over the fantastic work already put in place, driven by my predecessor Richard Gould and brilliantly supported by Charlie Hodgson, in the interim.

“The Kia Oval is one of the biggest grounds in the country, one of the world’s greatest sporting venues and has hosted some of the most iconic matches ever seen. The location in Lambeth, SE11, and the outstanding facilities support the already well-established destination of choice.

“The Galadari Stand is a significant addition to the club and ground which provides brand new Members’ facilities and enhances the club’s conferencing and events business.”

Sports marketing and data technology company Two Circles has hired Adam Davis as its managing director in North America.

Davis previously served as chief commercial officer at Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), the parent company of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the latter’s Prudential Center arena.

Davis will assume his new role on October 1. He will focus on building the Two Circles brand across North America and growing the agency’s sponsorship business. Sam Yardley, Two Circles’ executive vice-president of services and products, will continue to lead the agency’s consultancy, marketing services and technology business.

Prior to joining HBSE, Davis spent six and a half years at the Madison Square Garden Company, where he was responsible for generating new revenue streams across all divisions and acquired a portfolio of partners worth a combined $1.2bn (£877m/€1.026bn) for the eponymous arena.

UK-based consultancy Mott MacDonald has appointed Jim Frayling and Edward Selam to enhance the quality and breadth of services available to its clients in the sports and events sector.

Immediately prior to joining Mott MacDonald, Frayling was carrying out consulting projects for private clients through his e db events consulting company. He also led the operation team in Hong Kongs’ Kai Tak Sports Park Ltd consortium, serving as a project director for SMG during the bid. He previously worked for Wembley Stadium and the FA for 12 years.

Selman has previously held contract roles on the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. He has also run several world-renowned venues including The O2 in London.

The NFL’s Washington Football Team has confirmed the departures of Julie Andreeff Jensen, the team’s senior vice-president of external engagement and communications, and Scott Shepherd, its chief partnership officer.
Jensen joined the team in October 2020. Shepherd spent seven years with Washington between 2008 and 2015 before rejoining in 2019.

In a statement reported by the Washington Post newspaper, team president Jason Wright said: “Over the past year we’ve built an incredible leadership team and a robust strategy to move the Washington Football Team into a new era.

“Julie Jensen and Scott Shepherd have been integral to helping us manage that transition and establish the foundation of our strategy and business plan as an organisation. Julie and Scott are choosing to move on to pursue new and exciting opportunities, but we are deeply grateful to both of them for their contributions to our team and wish them the best in their next endeavours.”

Do you have news of an appointment that we should know about? Get in touch by emailing news.editor@thestadiumbusiness.com and we’ll include it in our next round-up.

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