Julian Metherell, long-standing MCC member and current London Spirit chair, will take over as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in October. His nomination, put forward by the incumbent Ed Smith, was approved by the MCC committee earlier this week.
A 40-year member of the club, Metherell brings a hefty financial résumé. He was a partner at Goldman Sachs from 1999 to 2011, leading the UK investment-banking arm in his final five years. More recently he co-founded Genel Energy, where he serves as chief financial officer, and holds a spread of non-executive roles across the energy and shipping sectors. Cricket followers may also recall his stint as non-executive chair of the Professional Cricketers’ Association between 2019 and 2024.
“I am deeply honoured to take on the role of MCC President, following in the footsteps of many of my cricketing idols,” Metherell said. “I have a long connection with MCC and I have many cherished memories at Lord’s. This is a really exciting time to be involved with MCC, especially as it starts a new era of ownership of a professional cricket team and I am looking forward to driving forward both the Club and London Spirit.”
That “new era” refers to last year’s sale of a 49 per cent stake in the Hundred outfit London Spirit. Metherell fronted those talks, eventually accepting a bid of roughly £145 million from a Silicon Valley consortium led by Palo Alto Networks chief executive Nikesh Arora. The figure, comfortably the highest in the competition, instantly made Spirit the best-funded franchise in the tournament. Once the deal was rubber-stamped on 1 October 2025, Metherell was installed as chair of the team.
Smith made no secret of why he turned to his successor: “During such an exciting period for MCC, I wanted to choose a successor with huge expertise and experience, combined with a deep passion for the game and for the club,” he said. “Julian Metherell is a great and trusted friend to cricket and an exceptional candidate. It is with enormous pleasure that I nominate him as the President of MCC from 1 October 2026.”
The appointment underlines the increasingly close relationship between MCC and its Hundred franchise. Earlier this year the club revealed a fresh Spirit badge that weaves the famous MCC egg-and-bacon colours into the side’s royal-blue scheme—subtle but pointed branding that hints at shared interests.
Looking ahead, Metherell’s term will include a pair of Ashes Tests—men’s and women’s—at Lord’s in 2027. It is a marquee summer that should help him balance the traditional stewardship of the game’s laws with the commercial demands of a modern club now part-owner of a professional team.
MCC insiders stress that the new president will not dictate daily cricketing policy. Even so, his financial background and central role in the equity deal ensure that, for the foreseeable future, Spirit’s fortunes and the club’s broader strategy will be closely intertwined.
Metherell formally assumes office at the MCC Annual General Meeting in early October, succeeding Smith to become the 38th president since the post switched to an annual appointment in 1974.
