[OS] TUFC Appoints Mark Thomas as Chief Executive Officer

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Torquay United Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Thomas as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mark will officially take up his role on 4th June 2025 and will report directly to the Board of Directors. This appointment follows an extensive four-month national and international recruitment process led by Red Star Search and overseen by the Club’s Board, during which a shortlist of six outstanding candidates were interviewed. Mark emerged as the standout choice due to his exceptional track record in commercial strategy, sports business development and team leadership. Mark brings a wealth of international experience to Plainmoor. A former elite rugby player who transitioned into sports marketing, Mark has founded and led successful ventures in China and Europe, including the S2M Group and S2M Consulting. He has managed high-performance teams of over 100 people, overseen the commercial operations of major sporting venues, and developed innovative strategies for international rightsholders including FIFA, AC Milan, British Swimming, and World Rowing. His work has spanned football, rugby, motorsport, and global tournaments, including roles advising and delivering partnerships for the FIFA World Cup. A fluent Mandarin speaker and globally connected entrepreneur, Mark has negotiated multi-million-pound deals, developed grassroots and elite-level sports programmes, and driven media and digital strategies for global sports and entertainment clients. His recent roles include supporting the commercial relaunch of the Inala musical in the West End and developing high-end hospitality experiences for Formula 1 in Shanghai. Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Co-Chairman of Torquay United, commented:
“Mark Thomas brings a truly international perspective to the role, combined with deep experience in sports partnerships and commercial innovation. His ability to think differently about revenue generation, sponsorship, digital strategy, and fan engagement makes him ideally placed to lead the next phase of our journey.” Michael Westcott, Co-Chairman, added:
“After a year of rebuilding and laying firm foundations at Plainmoor, the Consortium felt it was time to challenge the status quo. Mark stood out for his ability to build high-performing teams, his commercial creativity, and his plans to elevate the Torquay United brand across new and diverse channels. If we want success on the pitch, we must build a robust and scalable business off it—and reducing our reliance on matchday revenue is key. Mark’s innovative approach to that challenge really impressed us.” The Board would like to extend its deepest thanks to Joe Lovell, who has served as CEO on a part-time basis during our first year under the Bryn Consortium. Joe’s leadership has helped steer the club through a transformative period, which included record attendances—our highest in 50 years—the successful exit from the Company Voluntary Arrangement, and a significant uplift in our commercial performance and community engagement. Joe will continue to support the club as a Non-Executive Director and will work closely with Mark during the transition period to ensure a smooth handover. Michael Westcott added in closing:
“We are immensely grateful to Joe for his tireless work over the past year. His steady hand and dedication have laid the groundwork for a new era at Torquay United. We now look forward with excitement as Mark builds on that platform to drive the club into the future.”The post TUFC Appoints Mark Thomas as Chief Executive Officer first appeared on Torquay United.

Source: https://torquayunited.com/tufc-appoints ... e-officer/