Table Tennis England has appointed an executive search company to assist with the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer.

This process will begin immediately with the search and advertising for an interim CEO to take up the reins on a temporary basis from Sara Sutcliffe before the end of the year.

At the same time, there will be a more detailed search and recruitment process for the permanent role.

Table Tennis England is working with Hartmann Mason, an executive search firm with a specialist focus and strong track record recruiting for many sporting national governing bodies.

The deadline for applying for the interim CEO position has now passed and an appointment will be announced in due course.

Recruitment for a permanent Chief Executive will begin in the near future. Both processes are fully open and suitable candidates from inside and outside the sport are encouraged to apply.

The Board has decided to seek an interim appointment because recruiting senior leaders can take time, particularly as a candidate may have to give several months’ notice to their current employer.

Chairman Sandra Deaton said: “We saw several executive search agencies and decided to work with Hartmann Mason, who are specialists in sports recruitment.

“We’re looking for someone to take over on an interim basis to start as soon as possible, to hold the fort and to facilitate a handover both with Sara and with whoever we recruit on a permanent basis.

“We recognise that the search for a permanent CEO will take longer – it’s not unusual for recruitment for these senior roles to take up to six months – so we need somebody to manage the workload and keep ongoing projects on target.

“We would like to see applications from people who have experience in sport as well as people with transferable skills from other fields. We’re looking for the right person with the skills to take on the role, to complement our team, drive strategies and to take Table Tennis England and the sport forward to the next level.

“The Board is committed to making this an open process and that anyone who wants to apply and has the relevant skills and experience can apply.

“Hartmann Mason will manage the process of applications, but the Board will make the decisions on who is interviewed and appointed.”

Anyone who requires further information is encouraged to contact Hartmann Mason via [email protected]