Appointments of new Director General and independent Chairman announced

Pic, Director General, Vincent Gaillard (left), and independent Chairman, Simon Halliday

Vincent Gaillard has more than 20 years experience as a senior executive with global brand leaders Coca-Cola, for whom he managed sponsorship for the Olympic Games, Rugby World Cup and the FIFA World Cup, and with the European arm of the NBA (National Basketball Association).

He joins from the Swiss-based SportAccord (General Association of International Sports Federations) where he held the post of Chief Executive Officer.

Based at EPCR’s headquarters in Neuchatel, Switzerland, the new Director General will play a key role in driving the organisation forward as it extends the professional club rugby footprint across Europe and develops its commercial programme.

Simon Halliday enjoyed a stellar career as a player featuring in two England Grand Slams and the 1991 Rugby World Cup final before going on to further success in the stockbroking and investment banking sectors while maintaining strong ties with the game worldwide.

As independent Chairman, Simon will help to shape EPCR’s strategy as the organisation grows its business and increases revenue distribution to the participant clubs.

Paul McNaughton, interim EPCR Chairman, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to confirm the appointments of Vincent and Simon. Both will bring a wealth of commercial expertise and administrative experience to EPCR, as well as a strong understanding of the business of sport as we move forward into a new phase for the professional club game in Europe.

“Under the management of Jacques Pineau, EPCR has now established a fully-staffed executive in Neuchatel with a combination of experienced personnel who are transferring from Dublin and new employees from Switzerland and France.

“I would also like to thank especially ERC independent Chairman, Jean-Pierre Lux, for his outstanding contribution to European club rugby, and my thanks as well to the staff of ERC who have delivered the tournaments with such expertise and dedication over the years.”

Vincent Gaillard said: “I am honoured to be offered this position by EPCR at a pivotal time for the development of the competitions. I am aware of rugby’s great traditions and of the illustrious history of the club game in Europe and I look forward to working closely with Simon, the Board and the Executive Committee in the future.”

Simon Halliday said: “I hope that my years of rugby experience on and off the pitch combined with a lifetime career in finance will be of benefit to EPCR as the organisation develops. The growth of European club rugby over the last number of years has been remarkable and now it’s very exciting to be a part of what promises to be a great future for the tournaments.”

Vincent Gaillard will work alongside current Director General, Jacques Pineau, before formally taking up his role on 1 July 2015, while Simon Halliday assumes the post of independent Chairman from 4 May 2015.

Biographical details – Vincent Gaillard

The 45-year-old Swiss national joins EPCR from the Lausanne-based SportAccord (the umbrella organisation for all international, Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations) where he held the position of Chief Executive Officer. He previously held senior posts at Coca-Cola – where he managed the multi-national company’s sponsorship of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and of Rugby World Cup and the FIFA World Cup – and at NBA (National Basketball Association) Europe where he was a Project Director.

Vincent is a graduate of INSEEC (Institut National des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) in Bordeaux, and also has postgraduate qualifications from Audencia (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Nantes-Atlantique) and the University of Surrey.

He is a fluent in French, English and Italian.

Biographical details – Simon Halliday

Following an outstanding rugby career during which he played for Oxford University, Harlequins, Bath and England, Simon forged a successful business career in stockbroking and investment banking. He held senior positions at UBS Investment Bank, DLJ Investment Bank, Lehman Brothers and Nomura International, and was most recently Head of UK Institutions at Olivetree Securities.

The 54-year-old Oxford University graduate of Classics and Modern Languages is a former RFU Council member and was a selector for the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. He is currently Chairman of the Friendly Forces Executive and a Patron of the Help for Heroes Charity.