SHEFFIELD - England Basketball have put their faith in Huw Morgan to lead the organisation in the post-London 2012 era after naming the sports industry veteran as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Morgan joins England Basketball with over 20 years of experience within sport, having recently managed the International Rugby Board's (IRB) commercial programmes for more than a decade and overseeing an additional £50m increase in commercial revenues.

He also has various roles with the European PGA and Arrows F1 on his resume, along with being CEO of Harlequins, a Premiership rugby team.

Morgan starts in the hot-seat with immediate effect in what national governing body itself has described as an exciting new era following the Olympics and with recent surveys showing basketball to be the most popular sport for 11-15 year olds.

"I am very excited at the prospect of joining England Basketball and being part of its on-going development in terms of overall participation and its commercial potential," he said.

"England Basketball has significant responsibility as the National Governing Body and I believe that I have the necessary experience in developing its profile and the exposure of the sport in England.

"I am privileged in having this opportunity to be part of an organisation that has an ambition to progress in many areas. I hope to assist with this development through an approach which maintains the traditions and ethos of the sport combined with innovative and creative projects which are attractive to all constituents and participants."

The appointment of Morgan is the first of several key Management Team appointments that will follow in the near future, all designed to bring England Basketball to a more professional and commercially diverse platform from where it can effectively lead the growth of basketball within England and the UK.

"We were delighted with the quality of the candidates which led to Huw's appointment," insisted England Basketball Chairman, Jan Hagen.

"In Huw we have found a senior sports leader that can help us bring basketball to a much bigger stage.

"Obviously this is only the start, as Huw will need a strong team to support him. I am very much looking forward to working with Huw and all other stakeholders to continue to bring the sport together and drive it forward."

The appointment of Morgan is being viewed as the second major outcome of the large scale strategic review undertaken by England Basketball.

The first action was the appointment of seven new Board Directors, including an Independent Chairman, as the organisation tries to drive a significant improvement in performance.

FIBA