Bates named as new chief exec
ROCHDALE Hornets have appointed their new chief executive after Adam Bates has joined the club.
Bates replaces Ryan Bradley, who left Hornets to take on a role as the Business Development Executive for Premier League football side Burnley.
Bates arrives at Hornets with a vast knowledge of rugby league, after establishing strong links for the game within the Midlands and the South of England, and he is looking forward to beginning his new job in January.
“I am delighted to take on this role with Rochdale Hornets. Having been involved in rugby league for many years, I have been a strong admirer of what Hornets have achieved since becoming a members owned club,” he said.
“I am looking forward to working with the board to continue building the Hornets brand, as well as developing new and innovative ways of making the club an attractive prospect for both fans and the local business community.
“I recognise that with the success of promotion and the demands of Championship Rugby League 2017 will be a real challenge.
“However, I’m excited by this and confident that we can continue to go from strength to strength. I will be doing everything I can to support Alan Kilshaw and his team to achieve success.”
Hornets chairman Mark Wynn was part of the team that made the decision to appoint Bates, and he is happy to be working alongside the new recruit.
“I am really excited to be able to announce Adam Bates as our new CEO. Adam is a rugby league fanatic who has an impressive pedigree in sales and marketing as well as spending time working in social housing,” he said.
“He is someone who I have known and been aware of for a long time and we have watched him from afar develop a thriving rugby league community in and around the East Midlands over the past few years.
“I was pleased with the volume of candidates we had for the role following Ryan Bradley’s departure and it has been a lengthy and painstaking process to get the right person in place, but I believe in Adam we have that.
“I wish to thank our members and supporters for their patience in this process but it was imperative that the club took the time to allow for a thorough hiring process.
“I also wish to thank the certain group of members who have rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in with the running of the club when there was no day-to-day management in place.
“That is what being a members’ owned club is all about.”