The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) governing body has appointed Scott Weenink as its new chief executive.
Weenink, 50, replaces former CEO David White, who officially stepped down from the position earlier this month having announced his planned departure in May.
Weenink will take up his post, at NZC’s offices in Auckland, in early September, becoming the fifth NZC chief executive.
In recent years, he has been the chair of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, and will now step down from that position. He also played professionally for the Wellington first-class team in New Zealand earlier in his career.
Initially a corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions lawyer, NZC has said Weenink’s previous career journey has given him “extensive executive and governance experience in a wide range of industries, including funds management, financial services, private equity, telecoms/technology, infrastructure, and sport.”
Martin Snedden, chair of NZC, said: “Scott had a great deal to offer in all the key areas, plus some special experiences that specifically suited the skillset needed in this position.
“He understands the relationship between community and high-performance sport; he’s very familiar with world cricket affairs and current issues, and he’s spent a significant time running organizations and projects within Asia, obviously a major region of importance for NZC.
“Scott understands cricket. He understands its context in New Zealand; where it’s come from, where it is now, and where it should be going.
Weenink added: “It was a great honor to be offered the position. I love sport and cricket in particular, and I also love the business of sport – so this seemed like an ideal role.
“There’s a finely balanced, symbiotic relationship between community and high-performance cricket in New Zealand and one of my key responsibilities is to ensure that’s maintained and sustained into the future.”
In November last year, former women’s player Lesley Murdoch became the new NZC president.
White, meanwhile, had been the chief executive since February 2012 before his departure.
