SUCCESSOR SOUGHT FOR ABERDEEN-BORN CHIEF EXECUTIVE

PETER DAWSON TO 

RETIRE IN 2015

NEWS RELEASE

St Andrews: It was announced today that Peter Dawson is to retire as Chief Executive of The R and A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Mr Dawson, picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will step down in September 2015 after 16 years leading the body which organises The Open Championship and governs the sport worldwide in conjunction with the United States Golf Association.

Having succeeded Sir Michael Bonallack as Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1999, Mr Dawson took over in an important period in the Club’s history.

In 2004, the same year that the Club celebrated its 250th anniversary, the private members’ club formed a separate group of companies to run The Open and conduct its governance responsibilities. This evolution enabled The R and A to focus on its governance role, running successful championships and supporting the growth of the game around the world and the Club to concentrate on catering for the needs of its more than 2,000 Members.

The Open Championship has enjoyed continuing commercial success throughout Mr Dawson’s tenure enabling The R and A to invest substantially in supporting the development of golf around the world through Rules education, grassroots initiatives, coaching, the provision of greenkeeping equipment and university golf.

The R and A now works with 152 affiliated organisations from the amateur and professional game in 138 countries and jointly administers the Rules of Golf, the Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ with the USGA.

Mr Dawson became the Joint Secretary of the International Golf Federation in 1999 and was a key figure in securing golf’s return to the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He was appointed President of the IGF in 2010 and the IGF Board has extended his term of office to 2016.

The recruitment of Mr Dawson’s successor will be handled by international executive search firm Spencer Stuart and the position will be advertised this weekend. 

An appointment is expected to be made in sufficient time to allow for an appropriate handover period in 2015.

Expressions of interest in the role should be sent to TheR&A@SpencerStuart.com

+Spencer Stuart has a well-established track record in global executive search in the sports sector, including the recruitment of the current Chief Executives of two high profile members’ clubs responsible for hosting iconic sporting events: the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Marylebone Cricket Club.

ABERDEEN-BORN, CAMBRIDGE GRADUATE and former scratch golfer!

Peter Dawson, now 64 years of age, is a former scratch golfer who still has a single-figure handicap. He was also a successful business man who ran his first company at the age of 24.
Born in Aberdeen, he lived in the Granite City until the age of six. His father came from Banff and worked for the GPO in running their telephone business. The family lived in Edinburgh for a spell in Fairmilehead when Peter was schooled at Heriot’s and first played golf at Lothianburn.
"We moved to Southend when I was 14 and I joined Thorpe Hall as a junior," he remembered. "By a twist of fate, Michael Bonallack was the great man there and I was fortunate enough when I got into the club team to partner him in foursomes quite often," said Dawson.
"When I went to Cambridge, I played a lot of match play golf. I was captain of the university team for a couple of years and we defeated Oxford twice. My stroke play ability went off a bit during that period, but it was great fun and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. "I married Juliet within three months of graduating and started work in industry. I was managing director of a company by the time I was 24. I played county golf for Warwickshire but the business responsibilities I had took me away from the game.
"Even now, I like to compete and each year I get a little buzz when I play in the President’s Putter. I truly wish I could play more, but like an awful lot of other golfers I feel quite frustrated when I play in medals after not lifting a club for three or four weeks and find myself four over par after five holes and yet to hit a proper shot.
"I became an R&A member in 1994 and was asked to join the rules of golf committee.
"When the vacancy for the secretary’s position was first advertised I didn’t think too much about it. The closing date was on New Year’s Eve and that’s when I put in my application along with a couple of hundred others. 
"I was very surprised to get the job, though looking back, the background I had on the commercial side and in golf was useful. Being a Scot probably helped a wee bit as well."