Beth Barrett-Wild Becomes Sussex Cricket's 1st Female CEO

Beth Barrett-Wild makes history with her appointment as the first female CEO of the Sussex County Cricket Club. She will be joining Sussex on January 1, 2027, having spent 13 years at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Beth Barrett is a seasoned professional in cricket management and women's professional cricket as she has worked with the Women's Professional Game at the ECB before. A few of her roles at the ECB have been managing the women's professional game, organizing the women's event at The Hundred, and being the tournament director of this year's Women's T20 World Cup, reports BBC.

Key Highlights:

• Beth Barrett-Wild becomes Sussex's first female chief executive officer from January 2027
• Former England bowler Holly Colvin joins five proposed non-executive directors
• Five board appointments await approval at Sussex's March 2027 AGM

In addition to Beth Barrett joining Sussex, the club is also seeking a non-executive director to be filled by the former England bowler, Holly Colvin. The other three roles for the board include two other non-executive directors and a chairman.

"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.”

Beth Barrett has been an integral part of the evolution of women's cricket in England, having joined the ECB as Media Manager for the England Women's team back in 2013. The women's game was at the time characterized by scarce professional options and relatively poor exposure. Her roles and responsibilities have been aimed at extending the reach and engaging the audience to connect more with the sport.

One of the most significant achievements for her has been managing the audience strategy of the 2023 Women's Ashes, resulting in unprecedented growth, interest, and engagement in the women's game. She has participated in developing The Hundred, tournament which has so far attracted over a million spectators to women's games. These actions have been a part of a broader attempt to establish a robust audience and commercial base for women's cricket.

Holly has been integral and gas played for Sussex team since 2005 to 2015. She has also won two Women's County Championship titles as a member of the team. On the international scene, Holly, has also won the 2009 Women's World Cup with England and scored the winning run in the finals.

Holly is now set to join the county's board alongside another former Sussex Women's player, Alison Bruce, as non-executive directors. The other proposed names for non-executive directors are Paul Farris, a business owner and cricket coach; Mark Jeffries, a businessman and vice-captain of Sussex Young Cricketers; and Callum May, a BBC journalist.

If the decision of the club’s annual general meeting to be held in the coming March goes in favor of the selection of the five non-executive directors, they will begin their three-year tenure at the Sussex’s board.