Directors of the World Snooker Tour

Steve Dawson, Chairman

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Steve became Chairman of the World Snooker Tour after Barry Hearn stepped aside in 2021.

Steve is also the Matchroom Group CEO with a wide remit and responsibility across all of the sporting interests and activities of the Matchroom Group of companies.

Since joining Matchroom from KPMG in 1985, he has overseen the growth and development of Matchroom from a single company snooker player management business into the leading sports promotion, sports rights holder and TV production group it is today.

As well as his responsibilities at Matchroom Sport, Steve was Chief Executive and Finance Director for Leyton Orient Football Club until the sale of the club in 2014. He was instrumental in managing the innovative £25m redevelopment and modernisation scheme at the ground.

When Matchroom Sport acquired a controlling interest in World Snooker in June 2010, Steve was appointed Chief Executive of World Snooker Limited – the company that owns and controls the commercial exploitation rights for the world professional snooker tour.

Simon Brownell, Chief Executive Officer 

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Simon qualified as a Chartered Accountant in July 2009 and joined World Snooker as Finance Director and Company Secretary in October 2010 from Baker Tilly, where he had been an audit manager.

Simon was named the new Chief Executive Officer of the World Snooker Tour, with effect from July 1st, 2021.

He said: “I’m excited to play a part in leading snooker into a new era.

“We have enjoyed great success over the past decade and become a truly global sport, while building strong foundations for the future.

“We are determined to continue our growth by exploring all opportunities to create new events, bring snooker to new territories and welcome new broadcasters and sponsors. This is our commitment to our players and the many millions of fans around the world.

"The fantastic increases we are currently seeing in our live and TV audiences strongly indicate snooker’s growing popularity and our potential to further develop our sport in years to come." 

Jason Ferguson, Director

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Jason is the WPBSA Chairman and a non-executive Director for World Snooker Limited, having been elected to the board in May 2010. He also chairs the WPBSA Audit and Finance Committee. Jason is an ex professional snooker player once ranked in the World’s top 32.

Following Jason’s retirement from the sport in 2004 he focused his attention on his business empire which included property development and regeneration as well as a successful term as the Mayor of his home town in Newark and Sherwood.

Jason has, in his current stint as WPBSA Chairman, presided over one of the most significant and radical changes to the way that the sport is governed when a controlling stake (51%) of World Snooker Limited (the previously wholly owned subsidiary of the WPBSA which is responsible for the commercial exploitation) was divested to Matchroom Sport Limited, a company owned by Barry Hearn, with the association retaining a 26% share in this entity.

This radical change to the Association was presented at the AGM in December 2009 and completed in June 2010 having been endorsed by the membership.

Jason’s role in this deal was to ensure that the interests of the Sport and its members were maximised while at the same time ensuring that the Association retained a significant voice in the future direction of the sport.

Jason’s role as a non-executive Director of World Snooker Limited ensures that he can maintain influence over the direction of the commercial activities that have so far been highly successful.

It is testament to the membership’s overall satisfaction with the role that Jason has fulfilled that when he most recently retired by rotation he was re-elected to the board with 100% of the vote.

Following this significant restructure, the sport of snooker has expanded globally, with prize money and playing opportunities increasing dramatically.

Peter Wright, Chief Commercial Officer

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Peter started his career at IBM, shaping his approach to connecting fans, broadcasters and partners digitally to create an enhanced sporting experience. In his next role, he was the commercial lead in the successful bid for Allwyn to replace Camelot as the operator of the UK National Lottery. 

Living in Baku, Azerbaijan, for 18 months, Peter worked for the European Olympic Association, establishing a new continental event which included 20 sports, securing partnerships with brands including P&G, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Nestle and Red Bull.

He has worked extensively in football, including a role with the FA ahead of the 2018 World Cup, as well as Aston Villa FC. He then joined Brentford FC as Partnerships Director for the newly promoted Premier League club, and led a project to secure a ten-year partnership with Gtech to become the naming partner of the club’s new stadium.

Peter joined WST as Chief Commercial Officer at the start of 2023.

Tom Rowell, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

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Born in Wales, and growing up as next-door neighbour to Terry Griffiths, Tom’s passion for sports from a young age led to the dream of one day working in the industry. 
 
His career in sports marketing began in 2012 when he joined Leicester City FC as Marketing Executive before going on to work for a total of six current or former Premier League teams. His remits also included ticketing, communications, and international development over his decade in football. 
 
In early 2022 he joined WST as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, with the objective to grow the sport both from a ticket sales and digital perspective.

Jai Singh, Legal Counsel & Director

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Jai qualified as a solicitor in September 2020 in the Banking & Finance team at global law firm Eversheds Sutherland. Jai joined Matchroom Boxing as Legal Counsel in September 2021 and was promoted to Legal Counsel & Director in July 2023 following his appointment to the board of WST and other Matchroom group companies.

He said: “Having always been a big snooker fan, I’m excited to be a part of the team. WST has built snooker into a truly global sport, and I look forward to working with the team across the legal elements of the business during its continued growth."