Kent Cricket has expanded its senior leadership team with the permanent recruitment of Simon Storey as Chief Executive Officer.

Storey, 49, will leave his current position as Chief Executive of Derbyshire CCC and take up his new role at Kent Cricket in January 2019.

After a successful season on and off the field, Ben Green, who has served as Interim Chief Executive since February 2018, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer.

Together with the team of Directors, including Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, the Club’s senior management team are charged with building on the success achieved in 2018 and delivering ECB’s new nationwide strategy across the Kent Cricket network.

Simon Storey took over the reins as Chief Executive of Derbyshire CCC in 2012 following a successful career in sales, marketing and general management at US consumer healthcare giant, Johnson & Johnson. During his six and a half years at Derbyshire, he has overseen record growth in commercial revenue and the £4.5million ground development of the County Ground, including a state of the art business and media centre.

In 2017, following a bid developed in partnership with Derby City Council, Derbyshire CCC was awarded host city status for ICC Women’s World Cup as part of a long term strategy for the Women’s game in the county. Simon Storey succeeded former Kent Cricket CEO, Jamie Clifford, on the ECB Executive Committee as the representative for Non-Test Match Grounds.

Simon Storey will relocate with his wife and three children. He already has strong family connections with East Kent, where his mother’s family have farmed for over 150 years.

Chairman of Kent Cricket, Simon Philip commented: “I am delighted to welcome Simon to Kent Cricket at this important time for the club. Simon has a proven track record inside the game which will prove invaluable and his record of building productive partnerships at all levels is outstanding.

“Whilst the game faces challenges, the Committee is confident that the combination of the new ECB strategy, along with the accompanying benefits of the media rights money presents a significant opportunity for the game at all levels in Kent.

“We are extremely grateful to Ben for leading Kent Cricket through a hugely successful interim period and believe that he has laid the foundations to drive success at a critical period for the game’s development.”

Ben Green reflected: “I have hugely enjoyed leading Kent Cricket during this year, in a year which has been embedded with success and progress.

“I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to all staff, players, sponsors, stakeholders, members and supporters for their dedicated support. I wish Simon every success in his new role and I look forward to working closely with him.”

Simon Storey added: “I am privileged to take up the role of Chief Executive at Kent Cricket and I am relishing the opportunity to lead the county, which has a rich cricketing heritage.

“With the upcoming launch of the new Cricket Unleashed strategy, great strides have already made, making it an exciting time to join. I look forward to working with everyone at Kent Cricket to deliver sustained success.”