The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Leatherdale as its new Chief Executive.
This news follows an extensive process conducted by the PCA Management Board assisted by the sports division of executive search specialists Odgers Berndtson.
Leatherdale joins the PCA from Worcestershire County Cricket Club, where he has been Chief Executive for the last five years, having been Deputy CEO before that.
Originally from Yorkshire, he has been a member of the PCA for over 30 years.
He played for Worcestershire as an all-rounder in a career which spanned seventeen years, during which he made over 15,000 runs and took over 300 wickets in first class and one-day cricket, before retiring in 2005 to become the county's Commercial Director.
During his time at Worcestershire CCC, Leatherdale has achieved widespread respect throughout the game for his successful stewardship of the club on and off the field, overseeing the successful re-development of the New Road ground whilst delivering a profit in every year of his leadership.
He also serves on the ECB Cricket Committee, alongside the PCA Chief Executive, as representative of the Chief Executives of the 18 first class counties.
Leatherdale will work alongside outgoing PCA CEO Angus Porter during March, whilst fulfilling his final duties with Worcestershire CCC, including the Club’s AGM on March 16th, before taking over as PCA CEO at the start of April.
Commenting on the appointment, Mark Wallace, Chairman of the PCA, said "I am delighted that David is joining us as CEO. I am pleased that we have been able to appoint a PCA member to succeed Angus and am confident David will enjoy the same success with the PCA as he has at Worcestershire”.
Matthew Wheeler, Chairman of the PCA Management Board, added "We were blessed with a number of extremely capable and well-qualified candidates for the role, but the combination of David’s cricketing and business experience made him the outstanding choice."
David Leatherdale commented “I am delighted to be joining the PCA at what is an exciting time for professional cricket on both a domestic and international level and as a member of the PCA for some 30 years, an association which has supported me personally over that time, I look forward to working with and representing our past, present and future professional cricketers as cricket moves forward into a new era."