Hockley confirmed as CA's full-time chief executive

Nick Hockley, who has been serving as Cricket Australia's interim Chief Executive Officer for almost a year, has today been formally appointed to the role.

Hockley, who has been serving in the position since the departure of his predecessor Kevin Roberts in June 2020, received the unanimous endorsement of CA's board after a recruitment search during which candidates from Australia and overseas were interviewed.

He was born in the UK and represented England in rugby at student level before pursuing a career in corporate finance that saw him relocate to Australia between 2002 and 2005.

Hockley then returned to the UK as Head of Commercial Negotiations for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics where he worked for six years before he moved back to Sydney with his Australia-born wife.

He took up the position of General Manager, Commercial and Marketing for the ICC 2015 World Cup and was Head of Commercial Projects at CA before being appointed CEO of the record-breaking ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2020.

Hockley was serving as CEO of the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia later this year before being relocated to India due to COVID-19, and stepped from that role into the interim CEO's position at CA as international and domestic sport scheduling was hard hit by the global pandemic.

Having overseen the successful delivery of last summer's men's and women's international and domestic seasons amid significant turbulence, Hockley had indicated his interest in the CEO's job having earned kudos for negotiating a path through myriad commercial and administrative issues.

"As Australia’s national sport, cricket is at the heart of our national and cultural identity," he said today.

"I am under no illusion about the importance of cricket to the lives of so many Australians, nor the magnitude and responsibility of this role.

"Leading Cricket Australia is the greatest privilege of my working life and I am committed to doing all I can to making a positive contribution to the game and the community.

"Over the past 12 months, I have learnt first-hand about the breadth, scale and importance of the role.

"My approach has been and will continue to be to bring people across the game together, as I believe this is fundamental to achieving our full potential.

"It has been extremely rewarding to be part of CA, State and Territory Associations and the Australian Cricketers’ Association working together like never before over the past 12 months, to overcome the challenges presented by Covid-19 and deliver a summer for the ages.

"I look forward to building on this momentum and playing my role in deepening those relationships further, as well as playing a leading role in growing the game internationally alongside fellow ICC members.

"From community cricket to the international arena, Australian Cricket is in excellent shape, due to the hard work and dedication of thousands of volunteers, coaches, players, match officials and employees across the country, all of whom are an inspiration to me.

"I am extremely grateful for the support and trust of our partners and the millions of fans in Australia and around the world who cheer on our teams.

"We are committed to being an organisation which you can be proud of and a sport where everyone belongs.

"I would also like to thank the CA board for the faith they have placed in me to continue to lead CA at this important and exciting time for the sport.

"The change and complexity brought about by COVID-19 has created lots of challenges, but also plenty of opportunities.

"By working together with our partners across the game, I feel confident and optimistic about cricket’s ability to rise to the challenges of the modern world and thrive."

Earlier this month, CA announced a full international schedule for 2021-22 that includes men's and women's Ashes series as well as an historic women's multi-format series against India and the maiden men's Test between Australia and Afghanistan.

CA's chair Earl Eddings congratulated Hockley on his appointment after the search for a new CEO to replace Roberts had been paused last year in order to focus on the challenges presented by the pandemic.

"Nick’s contribution to Australian Cricket has been immense and, on behalf of the board, I am most pleased to confirm his appointment as CEO, which was unanimously endorsed by the board," Eddings said today.

"From delivering the historic T20 Women’s World Cup to ensuring a safe and successful 2020-21 season, Nick has already proven himself to be in the very top echelon of sports administrators both in Australia and around the world.

"Nick was named Interim CEO at an incredibly challenging period for Australian sport, and society in general, and there were many instances where the once-in-a-generation obstacles in his path must have seemed overwhelming.

"But through his leadership, resolve, worth ethic and vision for the game, Australian Cricket emerged stronger than ever.

"For that, Nick deserves enormous credit.

"In addition to his excellent record of strategy and delivery, Nick has been pivotal in galvanising Australian Cricket and strengthening relationships with our partners.

"I have no doubt those bonds will deepen further under his stewardship, which will serve to grow the game at all levels.

"Only 14 people have served as CEO or secretary of Australia’s national cricket body, and just 12 since the then-Australian Board of Control for International Cricket was formally established 116 years ago.

"I firmly believe Nick will be regarded among the very best of them and carry on their legacy of ensuring cricket is a sport for all Australians.

"The role of CEO of CA is one of the most highly regarded in sport and, accordingly, we were fortunate to have many outstanding candidates apply for the post.

"The board and I thank every one of them and wish them well in their future endeavours."