Sussex Cricket has appointed Beth Barrett-Wild as its new Chief Executive Officer, making her the first woman to hold the position in the club’s history.
Barrett-Wild will officially take up the role on 1 January 2027, following a 13-year career at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), where she held several senior leadership positions focused on the development of women’s cricket.
Most recently, she served as Tournament Director of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, overseeing the delivery of the tournament. Previously, she was Director of the Women’s Professional Game, where she played a significant role in the growth and professionalisation of domestic women’s cricket across England and Wales.
She also served as Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition and was part of the senior leadership team behind the competition’s launch in 2021. She began her career in cricket at Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) after playing county cricket for Essex, where she became the first girl selected for the Essex Cricket Academy when it launched in 2001.
Her appointment comes at an important time for Sussex Cricket, which has faced financial and operational challenges over the past year. The club has been working to establish a more stable financial footing while maintaining its competitiveness on the field.
Commenting on her appointment, Barrett-Wild said:
“I am incredibly proud to be joining Sussex Cricket, a club that combines a rich history and deep passion for the game with a bright future full of opportunity.
“Ever since I first picked up a bat as a little girl at my local village club, I have loved the sense of family, community and belonging that being part of a cricket club creates. That sense of belonging is a big part of who I am and what I believe in, so to now have the opportunity to lead and help shape the future of the oldest professional cricket club in the world is something eight-year-old Beth could only have dreamt of.
“While Sussex has faced a challenging period off the field in recent times, a huge amount of work has gone into putting the club on a more stable footing over the last 10 months. I am really looking forward to working closely with Ed Warner and the Board, the executive team, players, Members and fans to build on that work and take Sussex forward with energy and ambition.”
Sussex Cricket Chair Ed Warner welcomed the appointment, highlighting Barrett-Wild’s contribution to the development of the women’s game and her experience in senior sports leadership. He said her talent and leadership qualities made her the strongest candidate following a competitive recruitment process.
Barrett-Wild will become the tenth permanent Chief Executive in Sussex Cricket’s history. Acting Chief Executive Alex Paterson will continue in the position until she officially joins the club.
The appointment represents a significant milestone for Sussex Cricket and adds to the growing presence of women in senior leadership positions across professional sport.
