Fresh details of Tickford’s restructure in the post-Tim Edwards era have come to light, including confirmation that the CEO and Team Principal roles will be split in two.
Edwards will leave the Campbellfield-based operation at the conclusion of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship after the best part of two decades at the helm.
Tickford co-owner Rod Nash told the Speedcafe Newscast in recent weeks that it is on the hunt for a new style of CEO due to the evolution of Supercars and hence also the evolution of what was once Ford Performance Racing into a race car team plus broader engineering business.
He also hinted then that the CEO and Team Principal functions which Edwards had filled could be separated, and that much has now been confirmed by way of documentation which has surfaced as part of the recruitment process for the former position.
Tickford has engaged the services of global recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson to find its new CEO, with the candidate brief containing an organisational chart which shows that role being distinct from the Team Principal’s.
Among the tasks in the job are to “Co-ordinate driver communications within the Leadership Group & the Team Principal” as well as “Driver selection and contract negotiation working with the Technical Director, Team Manager & the Team Principal.”
Furthermore, one of the ‘key relationships’ is “Management Board & Team Principal.”
A broad summary of the role explains, “The CEO is responsible for leading the Leadership Group of the Tickford Racing business to achieve the Strategic Vision, the Board Approved Strategic Plan and the Annual Business Plan (inclusive of financial budget, capital plan and debt facilities plan).”
Finer details of the position description reflect the changes which Tickford is going through as it pivots its operations due to the advent of Gen3, which rendered some of its capabilities surplus to its motorsport requirements, and hence the birth of Tickford Engineering.
Among the ‘core responsibilities’ is “External Sales,” which includes a requirement to “Ensure a strong retail sales culture.”
The new CEO will also “Lead and Manage with the Technical Director and R & D Consultants for the company’s R & D activities, processes, and claims establishment of the annual R & D Plan in consultation with the Management Board & Technical Director.”
Consistent with Nash’s comments that the successful candidate should come from a sporting background, but not necessarily from motorsport specifically, the selection criteria read, in part, “Sporting Code Experience is necessary with the ability to perform public relation activities and be the face of the business with an emphasis on sponsor engagement and delivery.”
Should Tickford appoint a candidate from outside motorsport, it would not be the first in recent times.
Former AFL coach and administrator David Noble is about to complete his first season as CEO at Dick Johnson Racing, where Ben Croke retains the role of Team Principal.
At Tickford, Dilan Talabani, nowadays a part-time Race Engineer on its Super2 programme, is the Business Development Manager of the Tickford Engineering business.
Per Odgers Berndtson, applications for the CEO position at Campbellfield close next week on November 25, with interviews to be held in January 2024.
That timeline suggests that the successful candidate’s official start would be just prior to the season-opener in Bathurst on February 23-25, if not later.
The team will field two entries in next year’s Supercars Championship, although there is yet to be official confirmation that its drivers will be Cam Waters and Thomas Randle.
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