Stephen Vaughan appointed Yorkshire CEO, Darren Gough takes on permanent role

Gough served as interim managing director of cricket during the 2022 season while Vaughan replaces Mark Arthur, who resigned in November 2021

Yorkshire have made two appointments to their leadership group with Stephen Vaughan joining the club as chief executive officer and Darren Gough taking on the managing director of cricket position on a permanent basis.

Vaughan replaces Mark Arthur, who resigned as CEO in November 2021. Finance director Paul Hudson was brought in as acting chief executive.

He joins the club following three years at Wasps Group and previously worked for Thomas Cook London 2012, leading the company's involvement in the Olympics and Paralympics, and Gloucester Rugby.

Commenting on joining Yorkshire, Vaughan said: "Yorkshire CCC is one of the most iconic sporting institutions in the world and it's truly an honour to take up this position. Without shying away from the significant challenges we have faced over the past year, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future, both on and off the pitch.

^{Among Gough's priorities is securing an immediate return to Division One [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

"I had a number of offers, but the opportunity to lead this club back to the forefront of English cricket and realise our full potential was very attractive.

"The club is hugely important in the region with a massive fan base of loyal members who want to see us get back to where we should be. Working alongside the newly installed board I am determined to deliver sporting success at Headingley and produce exceptional results, underpinned by robust commercial foundations and our vision to make Yorkshire Cricket a place for everyone."

Yorkshire chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, added: "We're delighted to welcome Stephen to the club as the outstanding candidate in a highly talented field. With years of knowledge and experience working across various disciplines within sport he will bring a huge amount of expertise to Yorkshire CCC. His proven track record and business acumen will be vital to our future success. 

"Stephen's openness in dealing with challenging conditions at Wasps in the wake of Covid demonstrates the strength of character that will be vital to the ongoing transformation of the club. I look forward to working with him as we continue on our rebuilding journey."

Gough, meanwhile, occupied the role of managing director on an interim basis during the 2022 season, overseeing on-field performance.

"I have a long-established connection to the club and am very happy to be part of our future by signing a permanent contract. We were all disappointed with the conclusion of the men's XI season but we are determined to get back to the top as soon as possible and regain our Division One status," Gough said.

"There is much to be optimistic about, not least the exceptional young talent coming through, and I am excited about the signings we have made to improve the team.

"The hard work starts through the winter, and I am looking forward to working together with Ottis and the coaching team in the years ahead to bring success on the cricket field back to Yorkshire."