Yorkshire County Cricket Club have appointed Stephen Vaughan as their new CEO, while England legend Darren Gough has been permanently appointed as Managing Director.
Vaughan moves across from rugby union, where he spent three years at Wasps before becoming one of 167 employees to lose his job when the club entered administration last month. A former professional footballer at Walsall, Vaughan replaces Mark Arthur who resigned last year over the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.
"Yorkshire County Cricket Club is one of the most iconic sporting institutions in the world and it's truly an honour to take up this position," Vaughan said. "Without shying away from the significant challenges we have faced over the past year, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future, both on and off the pitch.
"I had a number of offers, but the opportunity to lead this club back to the forefront of English Cricket and realise our full potential was very attractive."
Yorkshire Chair Lord Patel added of the appointment: "Stephen's openness in dealing with challenging conditions at Wasps in the wake of Covid demonstrates the strength of character that will be vital to the ongoing transformation of the club."
Gough, meanwhile, has now signed a permanent contract after serving as the county's interim Managing Director last season and has insisted Yorkshire have "much to be optimistic about" despite their relegation from Division One of the County Championship.
"I have a long-established connection to the Club and am very happy to be part of our future by signing a permanent contract," Gough said. "We were all disappointed with the conclusion of the men's XI season but we are determined to get back to the top as soon as possible and regain our Division One status.
"There is much to be optimistic about, not least the exceptional young talent coming through, and I am excited about the signings we have made to improve the team.
"The hard work starts through the winter, and I am looking forward to working together with Ottis and the coaching team in the years ahead to bring success on the cricket field back to Yorkshire."
