Mark Darbon has been appointed as the chief executive of The R&A and secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, succeeding Martin Slumbers in November. Darbon will lead the governing body and the organization that runs the British Open and AIG Women’s British Open, as well as invest in developing golf around the world, including overseeing the 270-year-old club with over 2,400 global members. With a background in sports event organization, Darbon is leaving his role as CEO of Northampton Saints, a Premiership Rugby club, to take up the position in St. Andrews, Scotland.
At Northampton Saints, Darbon led the club to their first Premiership title since 2014 and implemented a commercial strategy that helped the rugby union club achieve record revenues in consecutive seasons following the pandemic. Expressing his excitement for the new role, Darbon stated, “The R&A is a globally renowned organization and does so much to ensure that golf prospers from grassroots through to the professional game.” Niall Farquharson, chairman of The R&A, commended Darbon’s knowledge and experience in the global sports industry and his ability to develop successful teams and deliver fantastic events, believing that he will be an excellent leader for the organization.
Darbon’s career began as a management consultant at Marakon Associates before he transitioned into sports event organization in 2009. He held various senior roles with the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, overseeing the Olympic Park during the 2012 games and serving as an expert adviser to the International Olympic Committee from 2013 to 2018. Darbon also worked as a senior vice president at Tough Mudder Inc. in New York, planning and promoting mass participation events worldwide, before becoming CEO of Madison Sports Group, creating an international series of professional track cycling events.
An Oxford University graduate, Darbon is not only a keen golfer with a handicap index of 3.1 but also a former Under-21 England hockey international and a Full Blue for hockey at Oxford University. He currently serves as a non-executive director of England Hockey and Women’s Premiership Rugby. Married with two children, Darbon plans to move his family to St. Andrews when he takes up his new role, bringing his wealth of experience in sports event organization and commercial strategy to The R&A and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
Darbon’s experience in the global sports industry, particularly in overseeing major events like the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has equipped him with the skills necessary to lead The R&A and the prestigious Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. His track record of developing successful teams and implementing effective commercial strategies will be instrumental in ensuring the prosperity and sustainability of golf at all levels, from grassroots to professional. The organization looks forward to his leadership as they work towards achieving their goal of a prosperous future for the sport.
