Darbon Is New Chief Exec At Northampton

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Mark Darbon is to be the new chief executive of Northampton Saints.

Darbon arrives at Franklin’s Gardens in late July with experience from a career spent working for some of the world’s biggest sporting brands, including as a senior figure in the delivering of the London 2012 Olympics.

After over five years with Diageo as a global strategy manager, then strategy director for greater China and finally commercial director for Diageo’s whisky brands in Europe, in 2009 Darbon joined the sporting sector to help lead the delivery team for the London Olympics.

There he was executive assistant and chief of staff to LOCOG’s chief executive, before becoming head of pre-games events between November 2010 and May 2012 and then head of Olympic Park operations for the duration of the Games themselves.

In early 2013 Darbon was appointed senior vice president, Americas, for Tough Mudder, which has become one of the world’s fastest-growing mass participation sports events businesses, with in excess of two-and-a-half million people having taken part worldwide.

Darbon returned to London from Tough Mudder’s base in New York as chief executive of Madison Sports Group to launch a series of professional cycling events across Europe.

Darbon may have global experience but he is familiar with the East Midlands, having been educated at Bedford School and achieved a hockey Blue during his time at Oxford University.

Chairman-elect John White says that Darbon will have a positive impact on the Saints as the club enters a new era.

“I’m looking forward to working with Mark,” he said. “He was a superb candidate with plenty of experience of developing big sporting brands and sponsorship opportunities and delivering exceptional events, three significant areas for us as we look to grow in the future to meet the demands of the Aviva Premiership and European rugby.

“But Mark also understands the importance of putting supporters at the heart of the club and the position we have in the Northampton community, and he is enthusiastic about furthering our work in these areas, too.”