Sale Sharks sponsor finds new CEO

Sponsor of Sale Sharks, Warren Partners, has successfully concluded its search for a new CEO for the Rugby Union club.

The executive search firm, which recently entered its second year of sponsorship with Sale, has placed James Jennings, currently group mergers and acquisitions director of Thomas Cook Group plc in the role. He will take up his new post on 1 November 2007.

Jennings joined MyTravel Group in 1996, where he held a number of senior management positions, before becoming group mergers and acquisitions director of Thomas Cook Group plc following MyTravelís merger with Thomas Cook in June 2007. He was previously a director of Manchester-based corporate finance advisers, Rickitt Mitchell and Partners, specialising in advising leisure sector businesses.

Jennings has also held the post of non-executive director of Old English Inns plc and Genesis Restaurants Ltd, the operator of the Est Est Est restaurant chain.

Commenting on the appointment, Mike Petty, director at Warren Partners, said: ìSale Sharks is a well-respected, profitable brand with growing crowd numbers and an excellent reputation within both the sports and business communities. We knew, therefore, that it would be important for the new chief executive to build on those foundations by considering options to further increase the commerciality of the club.

ìWith an extensive background in the leisure sector, James Jennings is the ideal candidate for the role and we look forward to watching him lead the club to the next level of success, both commercially and on the pitch.î

Jennings himself said: ìI am tremendously excited to be taking on the role of chief executive of Sale Sharks. The club has the potential to become one of the leading Rugby Union clubs in the country and I am looking forward enormously to working with all my new colleagues to achieve this.î