Non-Executive Director and Chair of ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

The ECB is the governing body and proud custodian for cricket in England and Wales. Its role is to lead and support the growth of the game. It is unique among major sports in the UK in being responsible for the entire game, from grassroots and recreational cricket all the way up to the international arena.

Under the leadership of the Chair, the ECB Board is committed to:

• Making cricket the most inclusive sport, including by tackling all forms of discrimination and making the game welcoming and safe to all.
• Growing the game, getting more people playing, attending, watching and following cricket.
• Inspiring people through exciting and successful England teams - Men’s, Women’s and Disabilities - and through high-quality domestic county competitions and The Hundred.
• Leading the game - acting as a modern, trusted and strategic national governing body that works collaboratively with our stakeholders to lead the game through a rapidly changing sport and societal landscape.

The ECB is now seeking to appoint a Non-Executive Director to Chair the ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee following Alan Dickinson’s retirement at the end of his nine-year tenure in May 2027. The role will be central to the Board’s oversight of financial stewardship, audit, risk and investment governance at a time when the game is managing significant strategic and financial change, including the distribution and investment of proceeds from the sale of equity in The Hundred teams.

The day-to-day running of the ECB rests with the Executive Leadership Group, led by the Chief Executive, who reports to the Chair of the ECB Board. The ECB Board is responsible for setting strategy, providing oversight and ensuring strong governance. It is comprised of the ECB Chair, Independent Non-Executive Directors, Cricket Non-Executive Directors, and some members of the ECB’s Executive leadership.

This appointment is to the ECB Board as a Non-Executive Director, and to the role of Chair of the ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

The ECB is seeking to appoint a Non-Executive Director to chair the ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. We are seeking an individual with significant senior finance, audit and risk experience, to strengthen Board-level oversight and challenge in relation to the ECB’s financial stewardship, risk management and long-term investment decisions. The successful individual will bring deep experience of financial leadership, audit, risk and governance in a complex organisation, a strong understanding of the cricket landscape in England and Wales and will provide informed, independent scrutiny of the ECB’s financial strategy, controls, risk framework and financial reporting. They will chair the ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, a Sub-Committee of the ECB Board, and will also chair the ECB Investment Committee, which manages the governance of proceeds from the sale of equity in The Hundred teams.

This is a non-executive, governance role. The individual will not have line management responsibility for executives, staff, players or stakeholders, nor be involved in operational decision-making. The oversight role exists to provide robust challenge, insight and support at Board and committee level, consistent with best practice in sports governance.

Key Responsibilities

As a member of the ECB Board, the Non-Executive Director will:

• Act at all times in the best interests of the ECB and the game of cricket.
• Provide independent judgement, constructive challenge and support to the executive leadership.
• Contribute fully to Board discussions on strategy, performance, risk and governance.
• Uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability.

With a particular focus on finance, audit and risk, the individual will also:

• Chair the ECB Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, ensuring effective Board-level scrutiny of the ECB’s financial position, audit arrangements, internal controls, risk management and assurance framework.
• Oversee the ECB annual budgeting process and ongoing financial reporting, monitoring and performance against budget.
• Oversee the process to distribute proceeds of the sale of equity in The Hundred teams to Professional County Clubs, ensuring strong governance, transparency and alignment with the established distribution criteria.
• Monitor the financial health of the whole game in England and Wales, including the financial sustainability of professional and recreational cricket structures.
• Oversee the ECB risk register and conflicts register, ensuring that material risks and conflicts are identified, monitored and appropriately mitigated.
• Chair the ECB Investment Committee, providing governance oversight of investment strategy, decision-making and stewardship of relevant funds.

The Candidate

We are seeking a well-respected individual who combines senior finance, audit and risk credibility with the judgement and mindset required to operate effectively at Board level. The successful candidate must have:

• Significant senior finance experience and expertise, such as a current or former CFO, finance partner, finance committee chair or equivalent senior financial leadership background. They must be able to interrogate complex accounting, valuations and financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of audit, risk and assurance, including the ability to chair a Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and provide credible oversight to external/internal audits, internal controls and risk management, including emerging risks (AI/data, cyber security, fraud).
• Experience of financial governance in a complex, national scale, multi-stakeholder organisation of a similar or greater scale to the ECB, ideally including significant budgetary oversight, investment governance or capital allocation decisions.
• Board and governance leadership experience with the ability to Chair effectively, work as part of a wider governance system and drive forward a governance agenda.
• Substantive governance experience within the English and Welsh cricket ecosystem, gained through service as a Non-Executive Director of a county or other recognised cricket organisation, and/or through membership of an ECB Board Committee or Sub-Committee. Candidates should demonstrate a practical understanding of the governance, financial and stakeholder relationships across the professional and recreational game.
• Strong understanding of the economics and financial interdependencies of cricket in England and Wales, including the relationship between the ECB, the professional county game and recreational cricket, and an appreciation of the wider international and franchise cricket environment in which the domestic game operates.
• Experience of overseeing significant investment, reserves or capital allocation decisions, with the ability to balance financial return, risk, liquidity and long-term strategic objectives.

Successful candidates may also have:

• A formal accountancy qualification and be a member of a chartered accountancy body.

They will also bring:

• Strong judgement, independence of thought and emotional intelligence and be willing and able to challenge the CEO, CFO, auditors and management constructively and within a non-executive governance framework.
• Strong commercial and strategic judgement, with the ability to understand how changes to revenues, competition structures, investment and capital allocation affect both the ECB and the long-term financial health of the wider game.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder skills, with the authority and judgement to build confidence across a complex and sometimes competing stakeholder environment, while remaining independent and acting in the interests of the ECB and the game as a whole.
• External credibility and the ability to command confidence with the ECB’s stakeholders.
• A commitment to the ECB’s values, including inclusion, diversity and integrity.

Terms of Appointment

This appointment will be subject to ECB Member ratification at the ECB’s Annual General Meeting in May 2027 and shall be for a term of three years, with the potential to extend for a further two three-year terms. This appointment may be filled by either a Cricket Non-Executive Director or an Independent Non-Executive Director, consistent with the ECB’s Articles. If the successful candidate is not already a member of the ECB Board, they will need to become a Director in order to be appointed as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. The successful candidate will be required, upon appointment, to comply with the ECB’s conflicts requirements and to rescind or manage any roles, relationships or material financial interests that conflict with their duties to the ECB and the game of cricket. Should an individual be appointed who currently has a role in an ECB Stakeholder / Member organisation, they will be required to rescind that position prior to joining the ECB Board. This appointment is open to individuals who currently have a close connection to English Cricket. However, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the independence, judgement and integrity required to act at all times in the best interests of the ECB and the game as a whole.

Remuneration

ECB Board roles are remunerated in line with the ECB’s approved remuneration framework for Directors and relevant committee responsibilities. Details of the applicable arrangements will be confirmed as part of the appointment process. Reasonable expenses will also be paid to support the individual in fulfilling the role effectively.