Dr Ros C Rivaz will join the ICC Board as its newest independent director, starting an initial three-year stint that could stretch to a maximum of six years if both parties are happy. Her arrival adds another corporate voice to cricket’s main decision-making table, one that has been gradually opening up to outsiders over the past decade.
Rivaz currently chairs Anglian Water and serves as lead independent director at European material-science firms Aperam SA and Victrex plc. The ICC, announcing her appointment, highlighted her broad business experience, “providing a broad perspective on strategy, risk and performance management,” as an ICC statement described.
That same statement went on: “Throughout her career, Dr Rivaz has been an active and engaged board member, undertaking site visits and stakeholder interactions across government, commercial, and community sectors. Her deep understanding of governance, corporate strategy, and operational effectiveness is complemented by her commitment to diversity and inclusion, making her a strong addition to the ICC Board.”
Away from the boardroom, Rivaz has pushed community and education projects – backing the Your-Life STEM campaign for young women, chairing the Council of the University of Southampton and lending time to charities such as Water Aid. Those strands tie neatly into cricket’s own outreach work, even if the link is indirect for now.
“It is a privilege to join the ICC Board at such an exciting time for the sport,” Rivaz said. “Cricket continues to reach new audiences, inspire communities and strengthen its position as one of the world’s most influential global sports.
“I look forward to working alongside the ICC Chairman, fellow Board members, and the wider cricket family to support the continued growth of the game. Strong governance, long-term thinking and an inclusive approach to decision-making will be central to ensuring cricket continues to thrive and create opportunities for future generations across all parts of the world.”
Her appointment follows the path first taken by former PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi, who became the ICC’s inaugural independent female director in 2018. Bringing in neutral expertise was a key plank of the constitutional reforms approved that year – reforms that, in spirit at least, echoed the wide-ranging but ultimately shelved Woolf report.
For the ICC, still balancing commercial expansion with the game’s core values, Rivaz offers another set of fresh eyes. How much influence an independent can wield among full-member boards remains a live question, yet every extra voice counts when the global fixture list, revenue share and growth of the women’s game are all on the agenda.
