Yorkshire CCC appoints Sanjay Patel to CEO role
YORKSHIRE have confirmed the appointment of Sanjay Patel as their new chief executive.
Patel is joining on what is described as an “interim basis” following the departure of Stephen Vaughan.
Patel starts work on Monday and will be joined by another new face in the executive team. Mitesh Velani, who starts on September 16, has been appointed to a new role of chief finance and operations officer.
Patel, who led the development of The Hundred as its managing director, said: “I am delighted to be joining Yorkshire. The board have been extremely open with me, sharing their learnings and challenges over the past few years, and, importantly, their bold and ambitious goals for the future.
“Together as an organisation, we will do the best we can for the members and supporters aiming to move forward in all areas.
“I look forward to meeting members, supporters and people associated with the club over the next couple of months.”
Velani, previously chief financial officer and chief executive of Saracens RFC, said: “It’s truly an honour to take up this position with Yorkshire, and there are so many opportunities we can grasp and areas we can work on that will help the club continue to grow.
“Throughout my career, I have sought out the chance to build new skills and develop. I am looking forward to using everything I have learned to help support Yorkshire at this exciting time.
“Working alongside the board I am determined to help deliver success at Headingley and produce exceptional results, underpinned by robust commercial foundations and our vision to make Yorkshire cricket a place for everyone.”
Colin Graves, the Yorkshire chair, said: “I’m delighted Sanjay and Mitesh have agreed to join us in these vitally important positions.
“Sanjay and Mitesh bring with them a wealth of experience in senior business leadership roles and will bring new vision and a fresh approach to the day-to-day running of our business and finance operations.
“The board looks forward to working with Sanjay and Mitesh and, collectively, we are committed to delivering long-term success that members deserve.”
Graves also paid tribute to Vaughan, saying: “Everyone at the club wishes Stephen all the best in his future career.
“Stephen has navigated the club through some particularly difficult situations, and he goes with thanks and best wishes from everyone at the club for his energy, commitment and ability to keep things moving forward, whilst having so many off-field issues to deal with.”
Vaughan commented: “I am very proud of what we have achieved here during my tenure.
“Yorkshire cricket has faced some significant and well-documented challenges that needed to be faced head-on, and the club is now in a much better place and ready to continue its journey back to sustainability and success on-and-off the field.
“It has been a real team effort, and I’d like to thank all of the staff that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, often in extremely challenging circumstances for their support and dedication.”