Sam Rush to join Derby County as new President and Chief Executive Officer in 2013.

Sam Rush to join Derby County as new President and Chief Executive Officer in 2013.

The Board of Derby County Football Club (“the Board”) is delighted to confirm the appointment of Sam Rush as the Club’s new President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Mr Rush will join the Rams from Wasserman Media Group (“WMG”), the global sports and entertainment agency. Currently in charge of WMG’s football operations, Mr Rush will take up his new post in Derby on 1st January 2013.

 

Mr Rush has worked in the sports business industry for over 15 years. A trained lawyer, he worked for distinguished legal firms Bird & Bird and SJ Berwin before moving to Clear Channel Entertainment. He then worked for sports marketing agency SFX Sports before it was acquired by WMG. Firstly as Chief Operating Officer and latterly as President Football, Mr Rush has played a crucial role in the expansion of WMG as a global force in sports and entertainment, representing such clients as Mark Cavendish and Amir Khan. From his office in London, Mr Rush and his team have also represented over 400 professional football players around the world. Mr Rush has also been a non-executive director of the Amateur Boxing Association, during the boxing team’s development as a successful Olympic group.

 

Speaking about the appointment, Derby County Chairman Andy Appleby said: “Sam’s experiences at the forefront of the sports business industry, plus his global football connections mean he will come to Derby well prepared to tackle the next stage of the Club’s development.

 

“We have been looking for a strong candidate who could work effectively with the ownership group, plus the strong management and executive team already in place at Pride Park. Sam fits the description perfectly and I am delighted that somebody of his calibre has agreed to join us.

 

“We continue to work hard to become a strong competitor within the new Financial Fair Play landscape, making investments both on and off the field. Sam and his team off the pitch shall continue on this path, doing their upmost to create an environment in which the team on it can compete and ultimately be successful.”

 

Commenting on joining the Rams, Mr Rush said: “It is an honour to be offered the chance to join Derby County. Within the UK sports business industry, Derby are rightly seen as an innovative club, and I look forward to delivering some of the exciting plans already in place, as well as bringing some of my own ideas to Pride Park.

 

“It has been a tough decision to leave Wasserman Media Group, and I thank Casey Wasserman and his team for their support over the past six years. The opportunity to work at Derby, at this exciting period in their history, was one though I could not turn down.

 

“I look forward to working with Nigel Clough and the rest of the staff. In due course I also intend to move up to Derby with my own family and look forward to sharing in future successes with the rest of the Rams supporters.”