A shortlist for a new chair of the Welsh Rugby Union has been drawn up, with the union confirming it has received hundreds of applications for its new independent non-executive director board roles.
A selection panel for the independent chair is ready to start the interviewing process, with candidates drawn from senior positions in the public, private and third sectors.
With a new chair expected to be announced before the end of the summer, the new chief executive is expected to be appointed shortly afterwards. The recruitment process for two further independent non-executive directors (INEDs) is scheduled to be completed by Christmas, but could be advanced.
The WRU says it is in "advanced stages" in the recruitment process for a new CEO, a role held in an interim capacity by former performance director Nigel Walker following the resignation of Steve Phillips in February. However, a longlist has been assembled by headhunters Odgers Berndston, which is also supporting the union on the recruitment of its new chair and other INEDs.
The new chair will play a key role in the appointment of the new chief executive, including helping to draw up a shortlist for a role for which Mr Phillips had a £359,000 remuneration. The WRU said the aspiration remains that 40% of the new board should be held by women.
WRU people director Lydia Stirling, who joined the union in 2021 having held previous senior HR roles with Arup and McLaren Racing, said: “The new chair is the keystone appointment. Everything will follow from this moment, but the general calibre of applicant in all areas as been outstanding.
“We have a fine shortlist for the chair position. We are in advanced stages in the recruitment process for the chief executive to the extent we will be able to pass over an impressive longlist of names to our new chair on appointment and, in total, more than 300 high calibre candidates are on our radar for our vacant positions.
“The whole recruitment process has met the expectations raised by the seismic decision our member clubs took to modernise our governance in March.
“Our new chair will be from a different mould. We know, from our shortlist, we will gain a chair from a professional background - someone who has held a prestigious executive position, from one of our senior institutions in the UK or perhaps from a major blue chip company - but all candidates are united by one thing: a passion and connection to Welsh rugby.
“The opportunity for Welsh rugby to turn in a different direction during this next chapter, to further maximise commercial revenue and increase funds in the game in Wales, is very real.
“These are incredibly exciting times for our staff, but also for anyone with an interest in the game in Wales. The WRU is taking steps to fully realise its potential and we have an outstanding list of candidates who will help us to do that.”
Ms Stirling said the board position with specific responsibility for the women’s and girls' game has generated 80 quality candidates.
She added: “We are very excited, because we know we will make an appointment here that will have a hugely positive effect. Due to the high standard of individuals who have expressed an interest, whoever gets it in the end, we know we will have someone with the skillset and acumen to not only keep up with the exponential rise in the women’s game but to also take the lead in future advancements.
“I have been particularly close to this piece of recruitment and the high calibre of candidate has made me think about retaining that talent in some way, harnessing the passion these people have for our game and ensuring they can make a contribution, even if they are unsuccessful on this occasion in a hugely impressive field.
“This will be a vitally important part of the current process, we can’t lose the hard work that has been done in researching and finding relatable and useful talent with a passion for Welsh rugby. We must find a way to hold on to and continue to engage all of these people in our game.”
At an extraordinary general meeting in March, the union’s member clubs in backed a single motion for the appointment of an INED as chair and to recruit two further new INEDs to its 12-person board – doubling the total number of INEDs to six.
Four board members will still come from the WRU Council, which is entirely elected by member clubs, one of whom will be the Community Game Board’s chair. The remaining two spots on the board will be filled by the new CEO and a new director role for someone who can support and further the women’s game.
The union said all changes will take place in the context of the overall aspiration to ensure at least five directors are women.
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