Sussex names Beth Barrett-Wild as county’s first female chief executive

Beth Barrett-Wild has been appointed as Sussex's first female chief executive and will take up the post on 1 January 2027, the county confirmed. The club also proposed former England bowler Holly Colvin among five candidates for new non-executive director roles.

Barrett-Wild arrives from the England and Wales Cricket Board after a 13-year spell with the organisation. During her time at the ECB her responsibilities included serving as director of the women's professional game. She also acted as head of The Hundred's women's competition and was tournament director of this year's Women's T20 World Cup.

Sussex chair Ed Warner welcomed the appointment, saying: "Her achievements in the game have propelled women's cricket to an entirely new level," said Sussex chair Ed Warner. "I'm excited at the prospect of working closely with Beth to ensure a bright future at Sussex Cricket."

Holly Colvin, 37, is one of the former players put forward for a non-executive director role. Colvin represented Sussex from 2005 to 2015 and was part of sides that won two women's County Championships. She also hit the winning run for England in the 2009 World Cup final.

The county said Colvin is set to join the board alongside former Sussex Women player Alison Bruce. The other proposed appointees are entrepreneur and cricket coach Paul Farris, business owner and former Sussex Young Cricketers' vice-captain Mark Jeffries, and BBC journalist and Sussex member Callum May.

All five candidates will be offered three-year terms on the board subject to ratification at the club's annual general meeting next March. Barrett-Wild will begin her role at Sussex on 1 January 2027.