Andrew Williams, the CEO of FTSE 100 company Halma PLC, has stood down from his role as a non-executive director on the board of Cardiff Rugby.
One of the longest-serving CEOs in the FTSE 100, Halma PLC's business value grew from £600m to £7bn under his guidance and his loss is a real blow to the Arms Park outfit, whose chairman Alun Jones initially trumpeted his arrival as a "really big acquisition" back in 2019.
In a statement, Williams panned the way the game is being run in Wales and insisted his decision was based on reasons which reached beyond Cardiff Rugby.
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Williams, who has also recently announced he is standing down as CEO of Halma PLC, said: “There are a number of reasons for my decision to leave the Cardiff Rugby board which are all external to the business.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the business as a NED over the past three years and have huge admiration for the way in which the company has responded to the challenges of Covid-19 both during and after the crisis.
“I would particularly like to record my thanks to Alun Jones and the board, Richard Holland, his leadership group and all our employees for showing such determination and commitment under the most difficult of circumstances. Hopefully the promise of a more ‘normal’ season on the field will bring renewed optimism and reward for everyone involved .
“I love the club and want it to get back to the top table of British and European rugby, which will require major changes to the way the professional game in Wales is run. It has been a real pleasure working with the club I have supported all my life and I wish them every success and good fortune in the years ahead.”
Professional rugby in Wales is once again in a state of chaos, with the four professional sides - Cardiff Rugby, Dragons RFC, Ospreys and Scarlets - at loggerheads with the Welsh Rugby Union over how the game is run.
There is a universal agreement that things have to change in Wales after a dismal season on the field, but the sticking point remains in the detail. Earlier this week, WalesOnline reported that the regions and the Union were £6m apart on the figure which will be paid out to the four teams moving forward. That is after spending months trying to come up with a solution to Welsh rugby's problems.
Williams is the second FTSE 100 CEO to leave the game in Wales after Amanda Blanc, CEO of Aviva, relinquished her role as chair of the Professional Rugby Board late last year. She later went public with her reasons for leaving, saying she was not listened to.
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