WRU hire new chief commercial officer

CHIEF commercial officer of the Welsh Rugby Union Leighton Davies is standing down, with his successor confirmed as former Google and YouTube executive Tomos Grace.

- SION BARRY Business editor [e-mail]

Tomos Grace is the new chief commerical officer of the WRU

(Gareth Everett)

Crynant-born Mr Davies, who took up his role in the summer having previously been the union's chief financial officer on joining from the private sector in March last year, has decided to retire.

He has overseen a new five-year financial plan for the union, which includes a new food and beverage operator deal at the Principality Stadium struck with US firm Aramark.

The previous contract with Compass was a 25-year deal with no breaks struck by the union when the stadium opened back in 1999.

It has also bee confirmed that chief executive Abi Tierney will return full-time in January. She has been undergoing treatment following a cancer diagnosis but began a phased return in November.

Cardiff-born Mr Grace, a fluent Welsh, German and French speaker, has spent more than two decades in the sports media industry working in London, Paris and Berlin.

He began his career in strategic roles at Canal+ in France before moving to Eurosport as head of business development, where he helped launch early digital services.