Women will be represented on the European Tour’s board for the first time after Sophie Goldschmidt and Jutta of Rosenborg were named on Wednesday as non-executive directors.
The appointments highlight the Tour’s move towards a more commercial approach to business, but they are also notable on gender grounds. Golf’s public image has long suffered a perception of discrimination towards women. Recently, Augusta National has admitted female members for the first time and the Royal & Ancient has voted to do likewise.
Goldschmidt and Rosenborg will take up their posts in January. Goldschmidt is regarded as a specialist in the global sports industry, having held senior posts at Adidas, the Women’s Tennis Association Tour and the National Basketball Association. She is currently the chief commercial marketing officer for the Rugby Football Union. The Tour described Rosenborg as a financial expert given her experience with Aberdeen Asset Management and Carnegie Worldwide.
The appointments have been made amid a business review and board restructure. The search for a chief executive is ongoing after the departure of George O’Grady was confirmed; early indications are that the hunt could take a number of months. It is increasingly clear that the Tour believes a change of business strategy is required.
David Williams, the chairman of the European Tour, said: “I am delighted to welcome both to the board of the European Tour. The appointments as non-executive directors support our strategy of broadening and increasing the skills and experience at the heart of the business at a time when golf is changing.
“Sophie’s experience in international sports and her proven ability to drive commercial success will be a huge asset for the Tour over the coming years.
“In Jutta we have chosen a distinguished European businesswoman with extensive investment and financial experience which will be invaluable to the successful delivery of our plans to develop the European Tour and to forging future sponsorship opportunities and partnerships.
“I look forward to working with both Jutta and Sophie as well as our board, our management team and the players as we continue to build on the profile and success of the European Tour around the world.”
