Williamson joins Scottish Rugby from Inspiring Learning, a private equity education service. (Alex Williamson via LinkedIn)

The Scottish Rugby governing body has announced the appointment of Alex Williamson as its new chief executive.

Williamson replaces the previous Scottish Rugby chief executive, the long-serving Mark Dodson, who announced his departure from the organisation in January. despite having a contract that ran until June 2025.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Dodson held the role since 2011. His departure reportedly stemmed from the dire financial straits at the body.

Williamson will begin the role in early 2025 and his appointment comes at a fraught time for the governing body, which has logged over £10 million (£13 million) in losses in each of its last two financial accounting periods.

Scottish Rugby stated that Williamson “has a proven track record of achieving commercial growth, accelerating the transformation of established businesses to achieve improved performance,” and “extensive knowledge of membership models, ticket sales, hospitality and sponsorship agreements, major build projects and multi-layer governance structures.”

See Also:

Williamson joins Scottish Rugby from Inspiring Learning, a private equity education service, where he was appointed chief executive in 2019.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Before that, Williamson spent over nine years at the Goodwood Group, the managing company of the renowned motorsport and horse racing estate, where he began as chief financial officer before becoming chief executive in 2013, a role he maintained until 2017 when he departed to become chief executive of the House of Fraser retail chain.

Speaking on his appointment, Williamson stated: “There are many opportunities ahead for the sport globally and locally and I see no reason why Scotland cannot continue to be a positive force in the world game and within the wider sporting community.”

Scottish Rugby Union chair Lorne Crerar added: “I have been very impressed with Alex’s understanding of the key issues and opportunities facing us.”