Kevin Malloy has been elected the new Chair of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), succeeding Diana Puketapu-Lyndon, who stepped down after completing the maximum nine-year tenure on the Board.
The appointment was confirmed at the Board meeting following NZC's 132nd Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Malloy, who joined the NZC Board in 2019 and previously served as Deputy Chair, brings extensive experience in sports governance and international business leadership.
He spent 29 years with global media agency Starcom, working across London, Hong Kong and New York, where he led major international accounts for Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble before becoming CEO of International Operations.
He is also completing a three-year term as Chair of Super Rugby Pacific in December and currently serves on the boards of Kiwibank and Tourism New Zealand.
Puketapu-Lyndon joined the NZC Board in 2017 and made history in 2023 by becoming the first woman and first person of Māori descent to chair the organisation.
The AGM also confirmed two new appointments to the Board, with Raewyn Lovett ONZM and Jono Brent elected on the recommendation of the Board Appointments Panel. Anna Campbell and Ali Shanks were re-elected for another three-year term.
Mike Devonshire, whose term was also due for renewal, was not recommended for reappointment and leaves the Board after three years of service.
Lovett brings more than 20 years of governance experience in New Zealand and international sport. Her previous leadership roles include chairing Sport New Zealand, High Performance Sport New Zealand and Netball New Zealand, as well as co-chairing the International Working Group on Women and Sport.
Brent, a Chartered Accountant and former infrastructure sector chief executive, previously chaired Canterbury Cricket for three years and has spent the past year leading the development of the Community Cricket New Zealand strategy.
Paying tribute to his predecessor and welcoming the new Board members, Malloy said:
"I want to begin by thanking Diana, who has given nine years of service to this Board and led with real courage through one of the most demanding periods in the game's recent history,” he said.
"It is an honour to be asked to lead NZC as Chair and it’s a responsibility I take on with a strong understanding of how much the game means to so many New Zealanders.
“My thanks go to Mike Devonshire for his valuable contributions over the past three years, and I want to welcome Raewyn and Jono, who bring outstanding governance, financial, and community cricket experience to the table.”
Malloy acknowledged that cricket, like other sports, was facing a rapidly changing environment and would need to adapt to remain competitive and attract audiences.
“The landscape of cricket is evolving rapidly, both here and around the world, and while that brings challenges, it also brings opportunities.
“It’s an exciting time for NZC. We’re in the middle of a vibrant in-bound tour by India with record attendances, our BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS have major tours and ICC events on the horizon, and we are also preparing to co-host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2028.”
He also addressed the proposed NZ20 competition, describing it as an important opportunity for the future of domestic T20 cricket, while emphasising the need to strengthen the game at community and high-performance levels.
“NZ20 is an aspirational concept with an incredible potential, which is why the Board chose it as the preferred option for the future of our domestic T20 competition. I know there’s plenty of work going on in that space and we're hopeful of some positive updates from the NZ20 Establishment Committee in the near future.
“More broadly, the Board understands that cricket has a job to do to grow our game. We know we are competing for attention against a myriad of other sports and entertainment products, so it’s upon us as an organisation to ensure Kiwis continue connecting with and loving cricket."
The AGM also recognised several prominent figures for their contributions to cricket and sports governance.
Former NZC and ICC Chair Greg Barclay CNZM was elected a Life Member of New Zealand Cricket in recognition of his significant contribution to the sport.
Former WHITE FERN Rachel Pullar, former BLACKCAP Gary Troup ONZM, and international umpires Steve Dunne and Steve Woodward were appointed Honorary Members for their outstanding service to cricket in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, former BLACKCAPS player and coach Mark Greatbatch will continue as NZC President for the second year of his three-year term.
Members also adopted NZC's audited financial statements for the year ended July 31, 2026. The accounts confirmed a deficit of $7.3 million, compared with the budgeted deficit of $1.8 million, as first advised in August.
NZC's reserves stand at $25.2 million, while the organisation is forecasting a surplus of more than $10 million for the 2026-27 financial year, largely driven by the India men's tour.