My Career Story: David Collier, Chief Executive, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
DavidCollier
My CV
Current role: Chief Executive, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Previous roles:
Deputy Chief Executive, Essex County Cricket Club
Chief Executive, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Group Travel and Leisure Industry Manager, Sema Group plc
Senior Vice President, American Airlines/SABRE Strategic Planning
Senior Vice President, American Airlines/SABRE Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia
President, AMR Services
Managing Director, Servisair plc
Chief Executive, Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Chief Executive, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Education:
Loughborough University – Sports Science and Recreational Management
Postgraduate studies at Insead (Paris) and Wharton Business School (USA) in managing multi-national companies
Date of Birth: 22 April 1955
GlobalSportsJobs: When was your big break in your career?
David Collier: “Being offered the opportunity to be based in Dallas, Texas, working for the world's largest airline and privately owned computer system which not only provided me with invaluable business experience but also the opportunity to manage operations in more than 70 countries.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?
DC: “Always employ the best people to work for you – quality rather than quantity is the key to success.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
DC: “The return to India for the England cricket team after the Mumbai terrorist attack and managing unprecedented demand on the capacity of more than 35% of the world's travel reservations on our computer systems when there was a fare war in North America.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What is the most difficult decision you have ever taken in your career?
DC: “To decide to move on from American Airlines, who had been a pleasure to work for, and to have shared the exciting road of AMR's international expansion with so many talented people who remain friends to this day.”
GlobalSportsJobs: Tell us about the ECB – are you hiring at the moment or are there any plans to hire new talent in the near future?
DC: “We have a very talented team and with the current economic climate it is important we control our cost base to ensure that the maximum amount of funding and support is available for the development of the game from playground to Test arena.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What sort of qualities do you look for in an applicant for a job at the ECB?
DC: “Personality and the ability to communicate, commitment and a passion for the role, a proven track record of achievement and the ability to work as part of a team.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What do you believe is the key ingredient to putting together a successful team of staff members?
DC: “Don't compromise on quality and ensure that the business is engaging as a team and not as departments operating in their own silo.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What would be your key piece of advice for someone starting out in the sports industry?
DC: “Ensure that your CV has a balance between roles within the sports industry and experience from other business areas, especially in blue chip organisations.”
GlobalSportsJobs: What are your future career aspirations?
DC: “To ensure that cricket in England and Wales remains at the top of our world sport and to play a wider role in the development of sport on a global scale.”
