Image Credit- Essex
After just three years in office, Essex CEO John Stephenson announced his resignation. This is believed to be a cost-cutting move reflecting the worsening financial problems for non-Test-hosting counties.
After spending the next 17 years at MCC, Stephenson, who amassed over 10,000 first-class runs for Essex between 1985 and 2004, rejoined the team in 2021 as chief executive.
But now that he’s stepped down to “pursue other projects,” Dan Feist, the former operations manager of Essex, has been named general manager in a reorganisation of the club’s leadership, taking over day-to-day operations.
During Stephenson’s tenure, Chelmsford was embroiled in a string of racist scandals. One such scandal involved an alleged racist remark made by John Faragher, the club’s then-chairman, during a board meeting in 2017; Faragher refutes the claim, but the Cricket Discipline Commission fined the club £50,000 for it.
Following the upholding of several previous charges of racist abuse by an independent report led by Katherine Newton KC last year, the club was once more charged by the Cricket Regulator, the new independent disciplinary authority for the sport.
Essex was rewarded earlier this year for their successful bid to host one of the eight first Tier 1 women’s teams starting in 2025. Stephenson hoped that this opportunity would “future-proof” the club, including by redeveloping their home ground in Chelmsford. It is understood that Stephenson impressed the ECB.
But the club may not be able to afford a traditional CEO in the future due to the financial costs associated with the racism controversy, which included commissioning the Newton Report and reviewing the club’s finances. Stephenson will stay on the board until the end of the season, but he has stepped down with immediate effect.
“This has been a difficult decision to make as Essex has been in my bloodstream since the day I walked through the doors at Chelmsford in 1984,” Stephenson said.
“I am proud of what I achieved here. I have loved my time as chief executive and particularly enjoyed working with our diverse and talented board and our close-knit team of professional and dedicated staff.
“We have enjoyed success on the field and I am certain there is more to come.”