BCRU Hires New CEO – Matthew Carter
Well the BCRU have gone down an interesting path this time in their selection of CEO. Welcome to Matthew Carter, as the BCRU media release highlights, former Lotus F1 CEO and Business Development Director for Lille Olympique Sporting Club, a professional soccer team in France. Very impressive stuff that happened between 2013-2018. He hails from Coventry, UK and before his high profile Lotus F1 position he was a senior investment manager with Genii Capital and Bridgehouse Capital. As the BCRU states, “over 25 years of experience in venture capitalism, business development and sports management.”
Where it gets interesting is his latest position “President and CEO of One Stop Strategy in 2019, where he worked on strategic sponsorships and event management across the motorsport industry, most notably securing the rights for Formula E in Canada.”
This Formula E story has a Vancouver connection, the cancelled Formula E race in 2022, that has led to a lawsuit, “A ticketing company is suing the organizers of the cancelled Formula E electric car race originally scheduled in Vancouver for more than $3.3 million. The One Stop Strategy (OSS) Group had sold an estimated 30,000 tickets to the July 2 Canadian E-Fest, when it abruptly announced the event had been “postponed” in April.”. You can read the full Global News story from 2022 here.
You put that together with some reading on the Lotus F1 history “during the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix, Lotus were locked out of their hospitality unit, stemming from unpaid bills from the race organizers in Japan from the previous year. On 30 September, it was announced that Renault had signed a letter of intent to buy a controlling stake of Lotus F1 from Genii Capital. This came after Lotus were bailed out by Renault after falling behind in income tax and insurance payments to the British Government.” I think it fair to say Matthew Carter is probably the most “interesting” CEO that BC Rugby has had and is someone who brings the “venture” (noun: a risky or daring journey or undertaking) to business development and sports management. I mean it is the type of person you want in charge if you want to break new ground, maybe bring in an MLR franchise, or aspire to raise the profile of rugby in the province. The board may want to check in once and a while though, just saying.
It made me reflect on the CEOs I’ve seen come and go since I started BCRN in 2004. At that time it was Dick Woldring, solid local rugby guy, I knew him through old boys rugby. Jeff Sauve, a former Rugby Canada employee in marketing, solid administrator, went to Field Hockey Canada and now with Scouts Canada. Jim Dixon, a kiwi I believe, did various sports admin positions in Australia, England, Canada, was GM of High Performance at Rugby Canada for a couple of years, now living the dream as Manager of Lifeguard Services on the Gold Coast in Australia. Annabel Kehoe, from Oz, was in the rowing world in England then Canada, then BC Rugby, a real keener, lots of town hall meetings, then moved back to Australia. David Newson, quiet guy, almost invisible, only CEO I never met, from a local hockey league background. Now Matthew Carter, the venture guy, interested to see how this pans out, hopefully get to meet him sometime.
from BCRU
The BC Rugby Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Carter as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BC Rugby, effective May 27, 2025.
As the former Lotus F1 CEO and Team Principal and Business Development Director for Lille Olympic Soccer Club, Carter brings a wealth of leadership experience in sports management, business development and revenue growth that will support BC Rugby’s vision of becoming the safest, most vibrant, and inclusive Rugby community.
Carter joins BC Rugby at a pivotal time as the organization continues to implement initiatives aimed at growing the sport throughout the province, enhancing the overall experience for its Members, and ensuring a sustainable future for Rugby in British Columbia.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Carter as the new Chief Executive Officer of BC Rugby,” said Bob Strachan, BC Rugby President. “His strong background in executive leadership, business development and sports management make him uniquely suited to lead the organization forward. We believe Matthew will be a transformative leader who will drive growth and innovation, while maintaining a commitment to our strong community values.”
Carter’s appointment follows an extensive and comprehensive search conducted by the BC Rugby Board of Directors in collaboration with a leading executive recruitment firm. His impressive track record includes over 25 years of experience in venture capitalism, business development and sports management.
Carter spent 15 years as a Business Specialist for a venture capital firm based in England before he was appointed CEO and Team Principal for the Lotus F1 Team in 2013. At Lotus F1, Carter was responsible for the daily operations of the team and oversaw over 600 staff members from factory to trackside.
In 2016, Carter was appointed as Business Development Director at Lille Olympic Soccer Club, where he spent two years developing partnerships and growing revenue streams for the French Ligue 1 team.
Carter was named as President and CEO of One Stop Strategy in 2019, where he worked on strategic sponsorships and event management across the motorsport industry, most notably securing the rights for Formula E in Canada.
Carter joins BC Rugby as a Founder and Partner of SC Consulting, a firm that focuses on building strategic partnerships and securing sponsorship deals within the sports industry.
“It is an honour and a privilege to lead BC Rugby into an exciting period for the sport in this province,” said Carter. “Rugby in British Columbia is more than a game – it’s a community, a culture and a vehicle for positive impact. I am excited to work alongside our dedicated staff, board, clubs and volunteers to build on BC Rugby’s strong foundation.”
As the new BC Rugby CEO, Carter will lead a dedicated team responsible for delivering key programming, managing competitions and events, supporting athlete pathways, and advocating for the growth and development of Rugby at all levels across British Columbia.
The BC Rugby Board of Directors would like to thank Interim CEO, John Tait, for his steady leadership and contributions over the past several months. Tait will continue to support the transition process to ensure a seamless handover before resuming his role as BC Rugby Technical Director.
The history of BC Rugby CEOs simply shows that various Boards of Directors do not understand what it takes to be successful as a not for profit CEO – how to manage all the spinning pie plates. In many cases their prior experiences, even if it relates to rugby has little to do with how they will do in the BC rugby fish bowl.