Sussex appoint Beth Barrett-Wild as first female CEO in county history
Synopsis
Sussex Cricket has made history by naming Beth Barrett-Wild — the ECB architect behind The Hundred's women's competition and the record-breaking 2023 Women's Ashes — as the county's first ever female chief executive. With former England bowler Holly Colvin also joining the board, Sussex is signalling a decisive pivot toward women's cricket expertise at the top of its governance structure.
Key Takeaways
Beth Barrett-Wild becomes Sussex's first female CEO, taking charge on 1 January 2027 .
Barrett-Wild spent 13 years at the ECB, most recently as Director of Women's Professional Game and Tournament Director of the Women's T20 World Cup .
She helped launch The Hundred in 2021 , which has drawn over one million fans to women's matches.
Former England bowler Holly Colvin , 37 , is proposed as a non-executive director; she played for Sussex from 2005 to 2015 and scored the winning run in the 2009 World Cup final .
All five proposed non-executive directors will serve three-year terms , pending ratification at the club's AGM in March 2027 .
English county cricket club Sussex has appointed Beth Barrett-Wild, former Director of Women's Professional Game at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), as its first female chief executive in the club's history. Barrett-Wild will take up the role on 1 January 2027, following a 13-year tenure at the ECB that reshaped the landscape of women's cricket in England.
A Career That Transformed Women's Cricket
Barrett-Wild joined the ECB in 2013 as Media Manager for the England Women's team, at a time when women's cricket remained largely amateur and far less visible to mainstream audiences. Over the following decade, she rose through multiple senior roles, each centred on expanding the reach and commercial appeal of the women's game.
Her most prominent contributions include leading the audience strategy for the 2023 Women's Ashes series — which delivered record-breaking growth in viewership — and playing a central role in launching The Hundred in 2021, a competition that has since attracted over one million fans to women's matches. Most recently, she served as Tournament Director of the Women's T20 World Cup held this year.
What Sussex's Leadership Said
Sussex chair Ed Warner expressed strong confidence in the appointment. 'Her achievements in the game have propelled women's cricket to an entirely new level,' Warner was quoted as saying. 'I'm excited at the prospect of working closely with Beth to ensure a bright future at Sussex Cricket.'
The appointment is widely seen as a strategic move by Sussex to align its leadership with the growing commercial and competitive momentum of women's cricket at both domestic and international levels.
Holly Colvin and Four Others Proposed as Non-Executive Directors
Alongside Barrett-Wild's appointment, Sussex has also proposed former England bowler Holly Colvin, aged 37, as one of five new non-executive directors. Colvin played for Sussex from 2005 to 2015, winning two Women's County Championships, and famously hit the winning run for England in the 2009 World Cup final.
She is set to join the board alongside fellow former Sussex Women's player Alison Bruce. The remaining three proposed non-executive directors are entrepreneur and cricket coach Paul Farris, business owner and former Sussex Young Cricketers' vice-captain Mark Jeffries, and BBC journalist and Sussex member Callum May.
What Happens Next
All five proposed non-executive directors will serve three-year terms once their appointments are ratified at the club's annual general meeting scheduled for March 2027. Barrett-Wild's tenure as CEO begins on 1 January 2027, marking a historic shift in the governance of one of English cricket's oldest county clubs.
The appointments reflect a broader trend across English cricket institutions to embed leaders with deep expertise in the women's game at the highest organisational levels.
Point of View
The simultaneous proposal of two former Sussex Women's players as non-executive directors suggests the club is constructing a board that understands women's cricket from both the inside and the boardroom — a model other counties may be watching closely.
NationPress
4 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Beth Barrett-Wild and why is her appointment significant?
Beth Barrett-Wild is the former Director of Women's Professional Game at the ECB, who spent 13 years shaping the growth of women's cricket in England. Her appointment as Sussex's CEO makes her the first female chief executive in the county's history, a landmark in English county cricket governance.
When does Beth Barrett-Wild begin as Sussex CEO?
Barrett-Wild will officially begin her role as Sussex chief executive on 1 January 2027, following the conclusion of her tenure at the ECB.
Who is Holly Colvin and what is her role at Sussex?
Holly Colvin, 37, is a former England bowler who played for Sussex Women from 2005 to 2015, winning two County Championships and hitting the winning run in the 2009 World Cup final. She has been proposed as a non-executive director on Sussex's board.
When will the new non-executive director appointments be confirmed?
All five proposed non-executive directors will be formally ratified at Sussex Cricket's annual general meeting scheduled for March 2027, after which they will begin three-year terms on the board.
What were Beth Barrett-Wild's key achievements at the ECB?
At the ECB, Barrett-Wild led the audience strategy for the 2023 Women's Ashes, which delivered record-breaking growth, helped launch The Hundred in 2021 — attracting over one million fans to women's matches — and most recently served as Tournament Director of the Women's T20 World Cup.
