Lauren Scales appointed as first ever head of operations to lead new phase of delivery

LAUREN SCALES has been appointed as the new – and first ever – head of operations for Yorkshire Tennis & Padel Ltd and will join the organisation, working full-time in the role, from the beginning of June.

The appointment follows a rigorous selection process and unprecedented interest in the role, which has been created to support the board of directors and the organisation as a whole to achieve its mission of boosting performance and widening participation in tennis and padel across the county at every level.
 
Paul Billington, chair of Yorkshire Tennis & Padel said: “Lauren will lead and coordinate the work of the county’s delivery team and its volunteers, build on well-established partnerships with the LTA, clubs, parents, players and our commercial partners, and drive overall performance to make us the best managed and performing county in the country!
“I believe this is a significant step forward for the organisation and that together we start a new phase of delivering even greater opportunities and success for our sports in Yorkshire. Lauren brings extensive experience, great skills and huge energy and pace to the role.”
 
The LTA’s Paul Bennett said: “It’s great to see the continued ambition to drive our sports forward and provide increased support for the tennis and padel community in Yorkshire including its many clubs, coaches and players.  
 
“Yorkshire has exciting plans and the LTA looks forward to collaborating and continuing to work in partnership with the county to help deliver continued success and growth.”
 
A strategic marketing professional, with wide ranging experience in the commercial sector, Lauren has a track record of delivering major projects and campaigns, managing teams and working at director and board levels.
 
Lauren is a keen tennis enthusiast competing in club level tennis leagues, and more recently has become a ‘padel convert / addict’, playing several times a week. As a player parent, she has also been involved with Yorkshire Tennis through Yorkshire’s county and district training programmes. She is currently secretary of Thorner Tennis Club, managing the day-to-day operations of the club – a role Lauren has undertaken on a voluntary basis for the last five years.
 
Lauren said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to this new and exciting role. It presents a wonderful opportunity to bring together my professional skills and experience with my long-standing passion for the sport.
 
“As a tennis parent, I have seen first-hand the energy, enthusiasm, and dedication that the team brings, and I’m very much looking forward to getting to know both the team and the board of directors as we work together to build on the excellent reputation that tennis and padel in Yorkshire already enjoys.
 
“Tennis has always played a significant part in my life, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work in and give something back to a sport that has given me so much”