Bransgrove to relinquish chief executive role

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Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove is to step down as chief executive at the Ageas Bowl.

Bransgrove, who took on the dual role when he came to the county in 2000 and will continue as chairman, will make the change on December 1. David Mann, who has been group financial director since September 2007, will become the club’s new chief executive.

Bransgrove has had a major impact on the structure of English cricket with many counties now emulating the management and corporate structures introduced by him at Rose Bowl plc.

He has overseen the change of Hampshire's home venue from Northlands Road to the Ageas Bowl and has invested significantly in the development of the ground amenities over the years as well as encouraging investment from elsewhere.

Early this year, Bransgrove orchestrated the conclusion of the naming rights agreement which resulted in the ground being renamed the Ageas Bowl and, most recently, he concluded the major £45million re-investment transaction with Eastleigh Borough Council and others which has enabled construction of the new four-star Hilton Hotel to commence.

He has overseen the recruitment of several high-profile signings, such as Shane Warne, John Crawley and Kevin Pietersen, while encouraging the development of home-grown talent in the county's academy. This has resulted in the development of a team which, over the past seven years, has won three List A trophies and two Twenty20 titles.

Rod Bransgrove will continue as chairman of Hampshire but will step down as chief executive at the Ageas Bowl on December 1

He was also responsible for bringing international cricket to the south coast for the first time, ultimately culminating in the hosting of last year’s Sri Lanka Test.

In addition to cricket, Bransgrove has encouraged major concerts and shows to the Ageas Bowl since 2005 with high-profile acts such as Oasis, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, The Who and R.E.M. having appeared there.

The move is part of a wider corporate restructuring exercise, reflecting both the re-stabilised financial status of the group and the changing nature of its diversified business.

Bransgrove said: "This change is a natural development of the management structure of the group and does not indicate any intent on my part to conclude or reduce my commitment to the success of this project.

“However, after 12 years of fulfilling a dual role, and having now stabilised the business with a significant re-investment package, the time is right for me to focus on my position as group chairman, taking responsibility for board-related matters including strategic planning."

"In David Mann, we have an ideal candidate to take over the operational management of the group. He has excelled as finance director for the past five years and has been instrumental in the conclusion of the highly-complex re-investment transaction with Eastleigh Borough Council over the past year.

“His commitment and attention to detail has impressed all his colleagues on the board and he enjoys excellent working relationships with all key staff. Simply put, David Mann provides me with the opportunity to take this important step back with full confidence in his stewardship."

Before joining the Ageas Bowl, Mann held a number of senior financial positions in industry working as a finance director, financial controller and European financial controller, including spells working in France and Spain. Prior to this, he qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.

Mann said: "It is a privilege to be taking over as CEO of this business. We have a team of tremendously talented and committed people here and, working together with Eastleigh Borough Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and our commercial partners and stakeholders, we look forward to building on Rod Bransgrove's achievements over the last decade and making the Ageas Bowl one of the finest venues in the country, a legacy for future generations and something the people of Hampshire can be truly proud of."

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