Chief executive Vaughan to leave Kingsholm, Chief executive Vaughan to leave Kingsholm, p74
STEPHEN Vaughan will leave Gloucester this summer after six years as the club’s chief executive.
During his time at Kingsholm, Vaughan has overseen the change of ownership that saw Martin St Quinton become the majority shareholder after Ryan Walkinshaw put the club up for sale.
There has also been a change in the coaching structure with David Humphreys arriving as director of rugby in 2014. Laurie Fisher served as head coach for three years before the arrival of Johan Ackermann, who led the club to the play-offs for the first time in eight years last season.
During Vaughan’s time at the club there have been a number of off-field developments, including a new £1m pitch that was laid last summer and Kingsholm becoming a venue for concerts that has seen the likes of Little Mix and Tom Jones perform.
Vaughan has been a popular figure with Gloucester supporters but explained he feels the time is right to move on.
“Six years is a long stint when it comes to being a CEO of an elite sports club in this day and age,” said Vaughan.
“With what we have achieved at the club and the position it is now in, the timing felt right to pursue a new challenge.
“Leading Gloucester Rugby has been a huge honour and I will greatly miss the staff, players and management, as well of course the supporters, many of whom I have become very close to.
“It feels very much like mission accomplished from my perspective. I have delivered against the objectives I set out to and I leave the club in arguably its healthiest position it has ever been in and it is a legacy that I am very proud of.
“The culture at the club is in a really good place and the restructure of the playing department in 2014 has started to deliver the benefits it was designed to, which are apparent in both our final league position and early qualification for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.
“Club memberships are at an alltime high and last year we succeeded in rolling out an award winning rebrand of the club.”
Gloucester chairman Martin St Quinton said: “I am very grateful to Stephen for the massive contribution he has made.
“On the field the progress that the club has made has been obvious for all to see. As CEO, Stephen’s input has been vast to putting a structure in place that has seen us improve our fortunes on the pitch and off the pitch commercially, a strategy that has seen impressive growth.
“Revenues are running at record levels, with new income streams, an array of fan experience improvements and a strong set of values in place that all staff are aligned with.
“Of course Stephen will be missed, but the process now begins to find a successor that can continue to take the club forward.”