Sally Bolton will step down as chief executive of the All England Club after this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
Bolton was the first female CEO of the All England Club. After her appointment in 2020, she helped steer the club through a return from the Covid pandemic, in the wake of the tournament being cancelled.
Among Bolton’s achievements were the move to extend the tournament from 13 days to 14, while she has also backed the plans to expand the Wimbledon site.
Bolton, pictured with the then Duchess of Cambridge and Tim Henman in 2020, played a pivotal role in The Championships returning after Covid, and has backed plans for Wimbledon’s expansion (below) – Heathcliff O’Malley for The Telegraph
Heathcliff O’Malley for The Telegraph
Bolton, 51, said: “It has been a great honour and privilege to serve as chief executive of the All England Club and to work alongside such a dedicated board and group of colleagues, partners and the wider tennis community. I am proud of what we have achieved together – particularly bringing The Championships back following the pandemic and in shaping a clear path for the future. The All England Club is a very special institution, and I look forward to seeing it continue to flourish in the years ahead.”
Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said: “Sally has made a very important contribution to the success of the All England Club and The Championships for over a decade and particularly as chief executive for the past six years.
“I’d like to thank Sally for her hard work and dedication over that time and commend her for guiding the organisation through a period of significant change.
“A search for Sally’s successor is under way and in the interim, post-Championships, Richard Atkinson, our financial director, will serve as interim chief executive.”
What this means for AELTC and Wimbledon expansion
Sally Bolton’s departure should not alter the main focus for the All England Club, which remains the oft-delayed project to build 38 new courts in adjoining Wimbledon Park.
The chief executive at the AELTC may hold operational responsibility for the running of The Championships, but they are not generally the prime mover in the club’s policy. The true leader of the organisation tends to be the chair, who is now Debbie Jevans – the former Fed Cup player who also served as director of sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
Debbie Jevans, as chair, will be key in securing Wimbledon’s expansion (below) – Visionhaus/Getty Images
Jevans has now been in her post at the AELTC for three years, while Bolton had arrived in 2019 as a replacement for Richard Lewis. Unlike most of the AELTC’s top brass, Bolton had no background in tennis, having previously worked with Lewis at rugby league.
The AELTC is a club first and a commercial entity second, so the committee tends to run the big calls. Even so, the chief executive’s post could attract a number of well-established applicants, who would likely join in the autumn after director of finance Richard Atkinson has served as a locum after the end of this year’s Championships.
The list of British administrators who have run significant events is a fairly short one, including former ATP boss Chris Kermode and former Queen’s tournament director Stephen Farrow, who is now running the United Cup team event for Tennis Australia.
Other candidates might include Ross Hutchins, formerly operations director at the ATP, and heads of leading British sports organisations such as the Lawn Tennis Association’s Scott Lloyd and Tom Harrison, of the England and Wales Cricket Board. Although, for those who have had the opportunity to call the shots, it might be frustrating to find themselves working with a powerful committee chair.
Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.
