Big hitter takes helm atWarwickshire CCC
FormerWasps boss appointed as cricket club chief executive
ARENOWNED figure in the West Midlands sporting world has been appointed as the new chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Stuart Cain brings more than 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment sector to the post and replaces Neil Snowball, who announced in January he was stepping down after more than four years to join the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Mr Cain will join Warwickshire CCC in August after three years at Wasps Holdings where he held a number of positions, most recently its chief executive.
He helped establish Wasps rugby and netball teams at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry after the move from London in 2014.
In that time, he has also developed the Ricoh Arena’s conference, exhibition and concert business as well as its wider estate masterplan, including the development of additional hotel, retail and leisure space.
Prior to joining Wasps, Mr Cain spent more than seven years with the NEC Group as managing director of commercial marketing and has also worked in commercial and marketing leadership roles with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Glasgow Rangers.
He previously led the sports practice of global media agency WPP which involved working with FIFA on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and initiatives in Asia and the US. Before working in sport, he was marketing services director at Molson Coors in Burton-on-Trent, masterminding Carling’s sponsorship of the Premier League.
He said: “I’m very excited at the prospect of working with the management team and board to deliver a new era of sporting success on the field while working with the wider team to build new levels of community involvement and deliver the next phase of Edgbaston’s development.
“Neil has really moved Warwickshire CCC forward and I’m relishing the opportunity to build on his legacy. In Edgbaston, we have one of the world’s great sporting venues.
“With the second phase of the masterplan due to get under way soon and a third phase due to be launched in the near future, I’m looking forward to working with the team at Edgbaston and with our major local and national stakeholders to support the development of cricket in Birmingham, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.” Club chairman Mark McCafferty added: “His experience and achievements in sport, events and venue development will complement very well the existing leadership strengths at the club and help ensure the delivery of our new five-year plan.
“These are difficult times for everyone to navigate but we appreciate more than ever the huge role the club plays in the community and the enjoyment we can bring to so many when we return.
“It’s very clear we shall now need to adapt and enhance our engagement with members, fans, commercial partners and cricket communities locally and overseas. Stuart’s experience will be central to that growth and we look forward to welcoming him to the Bears.”