By Carmel Robinson
Copyright northernirelandworld
The Belfast native, who has been chairman of Cricket Ireland since 2010, is stepping up as interim CEO until a new CEO can be appointed, a spokesperson for Cricket Ireland said. – – Ross has been the backbone of Lurgan Cricket Club for generations having played for the club in the 1980s and acted on its committee, including a chairmanship, for many years. A renowned club and provincial cricketer, Ross represented Ireland three times in 1988. He was also Chair of Cricket Ireland from 2012-2022. In that capacity, from 2018-2022, Ross was a member of the Board of the International Cricket Council. Lurgan Cricket Club was first to bat for its former chairman. In a post on Facebook, the club said: “Congratulations to Ross McCollum on his appointment as Interim CEO of Cricket Ireland! “Ross is a former Lurgan CC player who scored an unbeaten half century in the 1996 Challenge Cup Final to lead the club to victory. The middle order batsmen also represented Ireland during his career. “Off the pitch, Ross has served in many roles at the club from cricket committee member, Lurgan RFCC club president and Lurgan RFCC chairman. “He goes back to Cricket Ireland after a ten year spell as chair and we wish him the best of luck in this new role.” Cricket Ireland said: “The Board of Cricket Ireland has endorsed the proposal for former Chair Ross McCollum to return to the organisation as interim Chief Executive Officer. His tenure will begin next week and will continue until a new permanent CEO is in place. Brian MacNeice, Chair of Cricket Ireland, said: “The process for finding a new CEO for Cricket Ireland continues apace and we have a high-quality level of candidates that have expressed an interest in the role. The CEO role of Cricket Ireland is one of the biggest administration roles in Irish sport and the high level of interest has backed up this view. “However, until a permanent appointment is made, it is crucial that the organisation has a focal point for direction, decision-making and leadership. Having considered several options, and after a thorough process, the board decided to appoint former Chair Ross McCollum as interim CEO in the short term. “Ross comes to this role with a wealth of experience in cricket and business, and through his decade as Chair he knows the business and has an important network of relationships that ensure he can hit the ground running,” he said. “Cricket Ireland is involved in a number of substantial projects that have the potential to transform our sport for years to come, and to have someone of Ross’ calibre to support us during this interim period is welcome news. “Ross is not a candidate for the permanent role – he will begin next week and has agreed to remain in the role until a permanent CEO is appointed,” said Mr McNeice.
