Dr Henderson, who will commence immediately, signalled his first priorities would be ensuring a strong, sustainable financial future for cricket, increased participation, particularly among girls and women, improved consultation with state and territory chairs and all stakeholders, and continuing to drive high standards of behaviour across the game.
In an official release, Dr Henderson said: “I would like to thank Richard, the other CA directors and the state chairs and boards for their support. It is a privilege and honour to be elected chair and serve our national sport.”
“I’m really excited by the opportunities ahead. The CA board is relatively new, with seven of the nine members having been on the board for less than three and a half years, and the imminent appointment of a new independent director will bring further fresh ideas and perspectives to the board,” he added.
The appointment follows a thorough process that involved a leading recruitment firm and considered a range of internal and external candidates.
It included consultation with the boards of all state and territory cricket associations, which were invited to provide feedback on suitable candidates and their views regarding the requirements of the role. Following interviews with a shortlist of candidates, the CA board was unanimous in its decision to elect Dr Henderson as chair.
Dr Henderson has extensive experience in cricket, including having played in state junior teams for WA and first grade in Perth, been chair of the Western Australian Cricket Association and a director at CA for the past three years.
During his time with WA Cricket, Dr Henderson played a significant role in developing strategies to drive growth in the game, including the development of Perth Stadium and the WACA Ground Improvement Project.
Richard Freudenstein will step down as interim chair with immediate effect. Mr Freudenstein, who has been interim chair since October last year, will remain on the CA board as a director.
As part of the ongoing board renewal process, the Cricket Australia nominations committee (comprising representatives of the CA board and state chairs) will commence the search for a new independent director.