The Welsh Rugby Union has appointed Leighton Davies as chief financial officer. The role is the first senior management appointment since Abi Tierney took up her position as the union鈥檚 chief executive in January.
The union will also shortly appoint a new chief growth officer to help drive commercial revenues. A strategic review into the game in Wales is also expected to be published by the WRU in June, with input from global management consultancy Portas Consulting.
Mr Davies, who hails from Crynant in the Dulais Valley, is currently global controller with advanced manufacturer Purolite, an Ecolab company, having previously spent seven years as finance director of international operations. The US firm has its European HQ and main R&D facility in Llantrisant.
His previous roles include three years as finance director for the BBC, as well as holding senior finance roles with GE Aviation and Network Rail.
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Mr Davies said: 鈥淭his is an exciting time to be joining Welsh rugby and I鈥檓 really looking forward to the challenge, to helping get to grips with the issues affecting our clubs, the professional game and our communities and to playing my part in finding the solutions that will help the game grow to its full potential.
鈥淚 am a finance leader with proven commercial business acumen, I will bring an ability to see and help drive the big commercial picture as well as ensuring the finance function at the Welsh Rugby Union is efficient, effective and reliable for all other parts of the business.
鈥淩ugby means more to us in Wales than it does in any other nation around the globe and this is a role I will relish.鈥
Mr Davies will take up his new role next month with the union鈥檚 interim finance director Dan Mills remaining in post during a handover period. Mr Mills took up the role after the departure of former finance director Tim Moss, who is currently chief financial officer with Racing Media Group, last year.
Ms Tierney said 鈥淚t has been vitally important for us to find the right person to fill this CFO position and, in Leighton, we have found someone who is not only passionate about the game in Wales but who brings a wealth of relevant operational experience, commercial acumen and gravitas to the role.
鈥淟eighton joins us at a time when we are designing a new strategy for the game in Wales and his insight and expertise will be invaluable to that process, just as it will be to the business and operational management of Welsh rugby in the months and years ahead.鈥
She added: "I can鈥檛 let this moment pass without offering my heartfelt thanks to Dan Mills for all that he has done over the last year.
鈥淗e will leave Welsh rugby with the blessing and best wishes of all those who have worked with him during his time here and, equally, I know he would be welcomed back with open arms should he ever decide the time is right to return.鈥
Moreover, WRU board member Alison Thorne has been appointed to a new position of senior independent director (SID). The board completed an interview process earlier this month and officially appointed MsThorne at the group鈥檚 recent monthly meeting. She was one of four independent non-executive directors appointed to the board last year.
The union鈥檚 independent chair, Richard Collier-Keywood, said: 鈥淚 am delighted Alison has accepted the position of senior independent director on the WRU board.
鈥淭his is a new role for the WRU, but it is a vital part of good governance to have a senior independent director in place to act as a focal point for other directors as necessary to ensure that I, as chair, am accountable for my performance and behaviours. This is something that is widely regarded as best practice for a good strong board.鈥
Ms Thorne is a former chair of equality charity Chwarae Teg, which ceased trading last year. She also chairs Barcud Housing and National Dance Company Wales.
She said: 鈥淲e have a dynamic and diverse board in place to govern Welsh rugby, one that has already progressed significantly in a short period of time. I see my role as one that supports the chair but also helps to hold the chair accountable and can work as a conduit between the chair and other Board members and stakeholders.
鈥淲e feel we have the right recipe in place in terms of the levels of expertise, different lived experience and diverse opinion available to us to make better and more meaningful decisions and we are all hopeful and optimistic about what we will be able to achieve as a result.鈥
