Lance Bradley quits as Gloucester Rugby CEO

Published by

Nicky Godding

Lance Bradley, the former automotive boss who took over as CEO of Gloucester Rugby four years ago has stepped down.

He took over the September before Covid, and saw the club through the difficult years.

Before joining the club, Lance had spent more than 30 years working among petrol heads in the automotive industry, first for the Ford Motor Company and more recently as Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors UK – a role he took on in 2009, the year after the banking crisis.

When the entire motor industry was struggling, Lance guided the company, the sole importer of the Mitsubishi brand into the UK, to growth. He stepped down from the role in 2018, after almost ten years in the role.

Speaking to Business & Innovation Magazine (now The Business Magazine) in 2020, Lance told editor Nicky Godding that, by then, the pandemic had cost Gloucester Rugby around £5 million in lost revenues. It could have been more but the club asked its 6,000 season ticket holders if they would agree to leave their money in the club in order to help fund the new training ground and around 90 per cent of season ticket holders agreed.

Everyone went on furlough except seven members of staff: Four directors, the head of medical who was caring for recuperating players, one member of the communications team and the head of finance.

Alex and Lance worked for seven days a week 10 hours a day, to do a root and branch review of the club and keep it going.

Martin St Quinton, Chairman and Owner of Gloucester Rugby Club said: “Lance has decided that, after the incredible scenes of Gloucester-Hartpury winning the Allianz Premier 15s title last month and ahead of the new season, that now is the right time for him to step away, letting a new leader take the Club on the next phase of its journey.

“He has led the Club through a very difficult period, not least the vast challenges of Covid-19, and leaves the Club in good financial health. He can be proud of what he’s achieved both on and off the field.

“I would like to express my thanks to Lance for his contribution to Gloucester Rugby over the last four years. We wish him and his family the very best.”

Gloucester Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer, Alex Brown, (who was one of Lance's first hires as Commercial Director) has been appointed Interim CEO of the Club with immediate effect.

Announcing his immediate departure on LinkedIn, Lance said: "After four amazing years at Gloucester Rugby I’ve decided it’s time to look for a new challenge. Thanks to everyone who’s been part of it. It’s been an absolute blast."

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.