British LTA To Run Extensive Search For New Chief Executive

Written by: Staff on 18th March 2013

British LTA To Run Extensive Search For New Chief Executive |

As Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association gears up for a lengthy and comprehensive search for the right Chief Executive to restore national and most importantly governmental confidence after the much criticized seven years tenure of Roger Draper, the Rugby Football Union needs strong resistance in holding on to one of the leading administrators for the 2015 World Cup.

Debbie Jevans, a respected candidate with a tennis background and impeccable credentials following her success as Director of Sport with the London Organizing Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is already being spoken of inside the LTA’s National Tennis Centre at Roehampton as the woman best suited to succeed Draper.

However Jevans, aged 52, is currently engrossed and committed to her work as chief executive of England Rugby 2015 after being snapped up at Twickenham by the All England Club’s former chief executive Ian Ritchie. She only commenced her job last September

The LTA have time on their side to make the right appointment and Draper will not leave his position until September after serving a six months’ notice period. An Appointments Panel has been formed under new independent chairman David Gregson from the 13-strong LTA board with such figures as Virgin Active chairman Richard Baker and Peter Littlewood, Chairman of the Tournament Committee for the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club.

Executive headhunting firm Odgers Berndtson, who was responsible for actually coming up with the name of Gregson (co-founder and Chairman of Phoenix Equity Partners and a prominent figure in London Legacy Development Corporation, tasked with transforming the Olympic Park following the 2012 Games) are about to be commissioned.

Nevertheless one prominent British tennis figure insisted: “The need is very much for somebody who understands British tennis at all levels and has a commitment and passion for the sport. The LTA has suffered too much criticism and bad publicity in the past few years with profligate spending. In many people’s opinion, Debbie Jevans could not be more perfect for the job.”

Jevans is a former British junior tennis champion who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 1979, losing out to Virginia Wade. She spent several years with the International Tennis Federation, rising to the post of Head of Women’s Tennis and General Secretary. She is also a current member of the All England Club’s Board of Directors and was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honors List.

Gregson is likely to consider candidates from the world of business, industry and commerce as well as tennis. But one distinct non-runner is former LTA Director of Tennis Richard Lewis. The former Davis Cup player has also served as executive chairman of the Rugby Football League and Chair of Sport England. He has made it clear he is perfectly happy in his current role of Ritchie’s successor as chief executive of the All England Club with responsibility of running the Wimbledon Championships.

Although Draper was an often pilloried figure, most forcibly for his 2012 bonus enhanced salary of £640,000 that was widely reported to be four times as much as Prime Minister David Cameron earns, he was honored with a 30 seconds long standing ovation from LTA staff when he publicly announced his resignation last week.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: british tennis lawn association, British tennis news, David Gregson, Debbie Jevans, Lta, Roger Draper