Dear Members,
As Julie explained in her recent video message to members, the Board has reviewed the independent governance reviews conducted by Campbell Tickell and Jo Coates (JAM Consulting).
The preliminary findings of both reviews were presented to the Board at the end of September, with draft reports submitted afterwards. The Board provided feedback on both drafts and considered their recommendations. The final summary reports have now been issued, enabling us to share them with members alongside our responses.
The accompanying paper from Julie (below) includes the summary reports, their recommendations and the Board’s responses. We have accepted the underlying rationale for the recommendations and are considering how best to take them forward. Some can be taken forward immediately; others will need to be led by my successor once appointed. Some recommendations, if adopted, may also require changes to the Club Rules. Any such changes would be brought to members for consideration and approval, likely at the 2027 AGM.
I am personally committed to progressing those recommendations that do not need to await my successor’s appointment, subject to any approvals required. While I remain Chair, I will continue to ensure that decisions are taken and Middlesex moves forward.
Richard Sykes
Chair
Dear Members,
As you know, over the past few months the club has taken part in two governance reviews, one undertaken by Campbell Tickell at the request of the ECB, and one led by Jo Coates (JAM Consulting) on behalf of our board.
Summary reports of both reviews and recommendations are attached HERE for your information and interest, as is a table showing the recommendations side by side.
I am writing to update you on the actions the Board intends to take, primarily in response to the seven recommendations in the Campbell Tickell Governance Report. The JAM Consulting work reached many of the same conclusions, but Jo’s work went much further in offering ideas on support and implementation that I will find most helpful as we move into the implementation phase.
Firstly, I must say the board welcomed both reports, and these proposals are designed to support an orderly transition, simplify our governance arrangements and clarify responsibilities across the Club. Some steps will require further Board approval, legal advice or member approval before they can be put into effect.
The work is planned in two phases. The immediate priority is to move towards a smaller ‘transition Board’, streamline our committees and maintain clear links with the Middlesex In The Community (MITC) Board. Following the appointment of a new Chair, the next phase will complete the future Board and committee arrangements, take forward recruitment of a permanent CEO, finalise the Club’s strategy, continue to strengthen stakeholder engagement and further formalise the MITC governance framework. The CEO search can begin once a new Chair has been appointed.
Recruitment of a new Chair is already under way. The Nominations Committee have selected a recruitment consultant (PSD group).
The Nominations Committee has been convened in line with our rules and will be chaired by Andy Hunt (Sahil Kher would ordinarily chair as Senior Independent Director but has recused himself due to professional and personal commitments and will simply support as a committee member). Elected members are Steven Finn and Marilyn Smith. They will be joined by an independent individual from outside MCCC, Mark McCafferty, who has significant cricket and sports governance expertise, as Chair of the Professional Game Committee, Warwickshire CCC, Premiership Rugby and on the Board of the Independent Football Regulator.
The Board proposes moving to a smaller transition Board as quickly as possible, subject to final legal advice.
Richard Sykes would remain until the new Chair is appointed. Steven Finn, Marilyn Smith and Phil Stokes would remain during the transition. These arrangements are intended to preserve continuity in finance and professional cricket. Sahil Kher and Andy Hunt have indicated that they will stand down when the new Chair is appointed and the nominations committee has concluded its work.
Under the proposals, Marilyn Toft, Natalie Salunke, Ankit Shah and Lisa Whybrow would stand down from the Board with our thanks for their service.
Decisions have been taken minded of people's appointed or elected status, the skills required on the transition Board and their time and availability to support the transition.
Whilst no longer board members, Marilyn Toft, who will remain a trustee of MITC, would continue to chair the Safeguarding Working Group, and Ankit Shah would continue to support the Director of Cricket appointment. Lisa Whybrow will support on safeguarding and membership working groups. Illa Sharma would continue attending Board meetings as an executive member. Board observers would stand down immediately, with offers of support through working groups welcomed.
As Interim CEO, I will act as the principal link to the MITC Board while the transitional arrangements are in place.
Before implementing the reconstitution of the Board ahead of the AGM, we will obtain legal advice on the required constitutional and procedural steps, including the timing of further resignations and appointments and any approvals needed from Members.
The Board intends to retain four core committees: Nominations; Finance, Risk and Audit; Cricket; and Membership. Nominations would take on remuneration responsibilities, while Finance, Risk and Audit would continue its financial, risk and assurance oversight. The Cricket Committee would incorporate women’s cricket, replacing the separate Women’s Cricket Committee. The Membership Committee’s remit and composition would be reviewed in the second phase, following the new Chair’s appointment.
The People Committee would be disbanded, with safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) responsibilities taken forward through working groups. Their Board sponsorship and reporting lines will be through the CEO for the transition phase, with long-term arrangements confirmed ahead of the new board being constituted. The Growth Committee would close, reflecting its original purpose as a time-limited task group. The Governance & Ethics Committee would close only once its essential responsibilities have been reassigned and documented. Responsibilities will be allocated before any committee or Board role ends, so that oversight is maintained throughout.
The Board intends to begin the permanent CEO search once a new Chair is appointed, allowing alignment on the role and selection process. The search firms invited to quote for the Chair appointment have also submitted CEO search proposals, which could help reduce the time involved and potentially achieve cost efficiencies. The timing of the Chair appointment will therefore influence this next stage.
Ahead of the new Chair’s appointment, I will bring together the strategy work completed so far and initial leadership observations into a discussion draft. The incoming Chair and Board will use this as the starting point for a formal strategy-development process, including stakeholder consultation, clear priorities and measurable outcomes, before seeking final Board approval.
The Board intends to put stakeholder engagement on a more structured footing. A dedicated plan will identify priority groups, set out the purpose and frequency of engagement, assign responsibility and explain how themes and actions will be reported to the Board.
The governance framework between MCCC and the MITC Board is newly established. The newly-appointed MITC CEO and I are working to document how the two bodies will work together. This will clarify respective roles, which decisions can be delegated and which must be retained, reporting requirements, escalation routes and how matters affecting both bodies will be resolved.
With thanks to the ECB, we have agreed a time-limited secondment of an experienced governance project lead, Laura Entwistle, to coordinate the recommendations, maintain the action plan and support development of the MITC governance framework.
We are also progressing the proposed appointment of a voluntary Company Secretary, with a clear role description, reporting line, term of appointment, authority and safeguards for conflicts of interest. Confirming these support arrangements promptly will be important to delivering the changes.
Following Board endorsement, all seven recommendations plus the additional recommendations received from Jo Coates will be brought together in a single implementation plan. Each action will have an accountable owner, target date, required approvals and dependencies, together with a record of progress and evidence of completion. The transition Board will review progress at every meeting until the transition is complete.
The ECB, as our regulatory body are fully supportive of our approach.
Thank you for your continued support of the Club. I hope this update gives you a clear picture of the Board’s intended next steps and the approvals and further work needed to bring them into effect. Once we have a full action plan and timeline and the appropriate legal advice, I will, of course, provide further updates, including any action required at the AGM.
With best wishes,
Julie Harrington
Interim CEO