Craig Fenton appointed CEO of New Zealand Rugby Commercial
2 August 2023
Auckland-born Craig Fenton has been appointed as the CEO of New Zealand Rugby Commercial (NZRC).
Craig (Ngāi Te Rangi) will relocate to New Zealand at the end of the year and take up his role in January 2024, after living and working overseas for the past 25 years, most recently in London where he has been Google's Managing Director of Strategy and Operations for UK and Ireland since 2017.
Fenton said he was excited to be moving home to Aotearoa with his family and energised by the role.
“The Teams in Black represent the top of our professional sport, of any team in any sport, and elite performance like this is sustained by the foundations on which it is built. Growing the commercial value of NZ Rugby through an engaged and expanding global fanbase is vital to supporting our current players and nourishing the grassroots that represent our future. I look forward to working with stakeholders across all levels of the game, honouring our legacy, whilst moving forward in a modern digital world, growing with mana. I am deeply honoured to join the NZ Rugby whānau.”
A graduate of London Business School, Craig has built extensive and broad experience including 17 years at global professional services company Accenture where he was sales lead for Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. His entrepreneurial streak also saw him found a record label and a film production company which aimed to give creatives from less privileged backgrounds a start in music and film.
NZRC Chair Ian Narev said Fenton’s mix of digital, sales and marketing, entrepreneurial and general management skills and experiences made him ideally suited to the NZRC role.
“What set him apart from a strong pool of candidates following a thorough global search was his passion for the opportunity. Craig is excited about NZRC’s bold strategy, in terms of both global growth and contribution to the local community. He wants to build on the capability in the team. And he understands the need to listen carefully, learn and engage constructively with a broad range of stakeholders. We are thrilled he has agreed to join us.”
BIO:
Craig is a business leader and entrepreneur who has worked in the technology industry for 20 years. He leads Strategy & Operations for Google in UK and Ireland, is an author, angel investor and advisor to several start-ups, and founded his own record label and film production company to give creatives from less privileged backgrounds their start in music and film. He was recognised as “UK New Zealander of the Year” in 2023. Craig grew up in New Zealand and currently lives in London, where he and his family have been based now for more than 20 years.
