Two new Non-Executive Directors were elected to the Club’s Board during the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 26 March.
Chris Paget joins as Non-Executive Director – Legal and replaces Kirpal Bidmead, who steps down from the role at the end of her term having served eight years with Derbyshire.
Chris is a commercial sports and entertainment lawyer and partner in the SHERIDANS | Sport Group. He works exclusively in the sports and entertainment industries advising a broad range of internationally renowned talent, corporate, investor, funding, governing body, technology, data, and agency clients on their commercial, transactional and regulatory matters.
He has a unique breadth of experience leading on complex transactions at the cross section of sport, entertainment, gaming, and popular culture. Prior to joining Sheridans, Chris spent five years as a professional cricketer with Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
Chris is joined by Rachael Mackenzie, who takes on the new role of Non-Executive Director – Women’s Cricket, and holds over 20 years of experience in women’s sports.
Rachael’s unique background as an elite athlete, leader, and coach has provided her with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within this sector.
In her current role as Head of Programme – Women and Girls Safe Sport at The Safeguarding Alliance, Rachael designs and implements pathways to increase participation, deliver coach education, and support athlete development globally.
As a Senior Tutor and Athlete Mentor at Youth Sport Trust, she designs and delivers impactful education sessions and programs that support young people’s development. Rachael has also been involved in mentoring athletes and coaches across various performance pathways.
In addition to her professional roles, Rachael volunteers as coach at Harrogate Cricket Club and leads as Club captain at Harrogate Hockey Club. She also serves as a Non-executive Director at 3Thinkrs, is Chair at Lingerfield PC and Trustee at Scotton Village Hall.
Also reappointed to serve a third term was Manni Sehmbi, who continues her roles as Non-Executive Director – Conference and Events. Manni is Director of Business Development at The BTN Group, a leading B2B information and marketing solutions company serving the sports, business, and events market.
Manni has 17 years of experience in the hospitality and events sector and was previously Director of Sales with a leading hospitality provider and worked in London and New York. Manni’s natural passion and vast experience in the events sector continues to be invaluable for Derbyshire.
