Wasps appoint new CEO

London Wasps announced today the appointment of Nick Eastwood as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Eastwood, a former Finance Director at the RFU for over a decade, takes over from interim CEO David Thorne, who has been in an acting position since the announcement of a club takeover in recent months.
Eastwood joins London Wasps on the back of a hugely successful 12-year spell with the RFU, helping to grow the RFU’s net worth from £35m to £180m and profits from a loss of £5m to profit of £15m and playing a key role in steering the governing body through an economic downturn.
Eastwood joins Wasps later this week and will work closely with Thorne on a handover basis in the coming weeks, placing priority on continuing to stabilise the club’s finances.
Commenting on his appointment, London Wasps Chairman Mark Rigby said: “We are thrilled to have secured the services of someone of Nick’s calibre. This is an important piece of the jigsaw at London Wasps as we seek to re-establish the Club financially and grow our business. I have sat across the table from Nick many times as an adversary in working with various RFU and Premiership Rugby Boards and I have always been hugely impressed with him. He will bring a wide ranging skillset to London Wasps and will become, I believe, a powerful driving force behind revitalising this great Club.”
Nick Eastwood said:  “I am immensely honoured and excited to be joining such a great Club and I look forward to working with everyone at London Wasps on the challenge of returning the Club to its rightful place as a leading force in world rugby.”