The
Professional Squash Association has appointed Richard
Graham as its new Chief Executive. The former Chief
Operating Officer of the Parallel Media Group plc takes up his
position today (2 June).
"We received a
very large number of applications for this great opportunity -
and from over 30 people who were seriously considered for the
appointment, we finally selected eight for the short-list," said
PSA Board member Martin Macdonnell, Chairman of the
Interview Panel.
"I was fortunate
enough to be able to call on an interview panel with a great
depth of experience. In addition to the majority of the PSA
Board, the panel included Ziad Al-Turki, Vice Chairman
ATCO Group and promoter of both the Saudi International Squash
Tournament and the Super Series Finals; Peter Nicol MBE,
founder of Peter Nicol Squash and a Director of Eventis Sports
Marketing, promoters of the Canary Wharf Classic and English
Open; and Gordon Baird, the former Dunlop Marketing
Director and Managing Director of Adidas and Timberland.
Furthermore, the process was facilitated by PSA Interim CEO
Ted Wallbutton.
"The selection
of Richard for the CEO post was unanimous and I am confident
that we have found and appointed a person with the skill set and
personality to take PSA forward into an exciting new era,"
Macdonnell concluded.
Richard Graham
brings to the role considerable experience in sports marketing:
During his tenure at Parallel Media Group plc - an AIM-listed
sports/media company - the company posted its maiden profit,
raising around €5 million in new sponsorship revenue. Graham
managed 16 staff in London and Hong Kong, and the company ran
two major golf tournaments in Asia for the PGA European Tour.
Previously, the
new PSA CEO worked with a number of sports federations,
including the Lawn Tennis Association, the Lipton International
Players Championships in Miami and British Equestrian
Promotions. Since leaving PMG in January, Graham has acted as
an independent sponsorship agent to a variety of rights holders,
including Birmingham City FC, Honda F1 Racing, SnowsportGB and
the English Open Golf Championship.
Graham is
confident of building on the PSA's strong financial footing to
ensure long-term investment in men's professional squash.
"I’m
extremely excited about the potential that exists within squash
and delighted to be joining the PSA," said Graham. "I feel that
all of the experience that I have gained from working in sport
can be brought together in this role.
"My principal
objective is to help create an environment in which all
professional squash players can have realistic expectations of
earning a good living from the sport.
"I believe that
squash has a strong base from which the Tour, the PSA’s
commercial partnerships and the sport’s media coverage can each
be developed. It is in these three areas that I hope to focus
my energy from the outset.
"I’ve already
been impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the people that
work within squash and in the PSA. I’m now looking forward to
meeting the players, event promoters and the various federations
within the game," Graham added.
The PSA manages
and promotes the men’s world professional squash circuit from
its head office in Cardiff, Wales. The annual PSA World Tour,
which forms the backbone of men's elite squash, features over
100 events, valued at US$2.6 million, in more then 40 countries.
