COUNTY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MATT RAWNSLEY AS NEW CEO

Worcestershire CCC are proud to announce the appointment of Matthew Rawnsley as their new CEO.

Rawnsley will bring vast commercial and cricketing experience to the role following 15 years in business within high performance sales, marketing and operational environments, and nearly a decade as a professional cricketer with the club.

Rawnsley will take up the post on March 1, 2018 and succeeds Tom Scott who is standing down after nearly two years at Blackfinch New Road.

The 41-year-old Rawnsley was chosen after an extensive selection process as the right person to take forward a club already making massive strides on and off the pitch.

The County received more than 130 high quality applicants which was reduced to a short list of four with the expert help of Peter Tucker, a specialist in sport recruitment, from Novoexec, a leading executive search and selection firm.

Worcestershire chairman Stephen Taylor, vice-chairman Tim Curtis, audit chairman Fanos Hira and Worcestershire board members Meriel Harris and Andrew Manning-Cox conducted the interviews while skipper Leach also met the final group of candidates.

For the last five years Rawnsley has been Managing Director of Barnes Group (UK) Ltd, together with other Barnes Group Inc subsidiaries in Europe, and achieved demonstrable success in this multi-million pound, multi-national business. Prior to this, he worked in business development and sales roles at Caterpillar and BTE Plant Sales.

Rawnsley has also established strong community links as a Member of the Institute of Directors, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber Of Commerce, and Worcestershire Ambassadors.

He will be well known to Worcestershire supporters as a slow left arm spinner who made 46 first class and 54 List A appearances in his career spanning nine years from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s. He also played for Herefordshire and has still continued to play Birmingham League cricket for Ombersley alongside current first team players Brett D’Oliveira and Ben Cox.

Rawnsley’s cricketing background will prove invaluable in forging strong links with the flourishing playing side, as skipper Joe Leach works to establish the team in Division One of the County Championship. His knowledge and experience will also aid the search for a new Head Coach, which is already underway.

Taylor said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Matthew Rawnsley as the new CEO of Worcestershire CCC.

“It has been a lengthy and extensive process and we were greatly impressed with the standard of applicants, but we believe Matt is the right man for the CEO post and he brings very relevant commercial experience, as well as strong cricket experience as a former player of the club.

“The appointment builds on the first class work that Tom Scott, the outgoing CEO, has performed in his two years at the club.

“Matt inherits an exciting team and a club well set to continue to grow – on and off the pitch. The future is exciting in all areas of this great cricket club and we feel Matt can help us to continue to grow.”