London, UK: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Hewitt as Vice Chairman. Hewitt, who has been a Full Member of the All England Club (AELTC) since 1998, will succeed current Chairman Philip Brook following the Club’s Annual General Meeting in December 2019.

During Brook’s nine-year tenure, ably supported by Richard Lewis CBE as Chief Executive, the AELTC has witnessed transformational growth, including: the launch of a new Wimbledon Master Plan, the No.1 Court Project including the addition of a retractable roof, the creation of the Wimbledon Foundation, the strengthening of the grass court season through the expansion to a three-week build up to The Championships, and most recently, the successful acquisition of Wimbledon Park Golf Club which will almost treble the AELTC’s existing 40-acre site. 

Hewitt was a partner for over 25 years with Freshfields, a leading international law firm, and is widely experienced in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other commercial transactions. He has also been Managing Partner in the firm’s New York and Amsterdam offices.

An Oxford Blue in tennis and long-standing County player, Hewitt joined the AELTC Committee in 2002, and is currently Chair of the Ticket Sub-Committee, Museum Sub-Committee and the Wimbledon Foundation. Hewitt is also an author including a variety of publications about Wimbledon and its history.

Philip Brook, Chairman of the AELTC and The Championships, commented:

“Ian’s combination of business acumen and considerable experience serving on the AELTC Committee and as Chair of the Wimbledon Foundation ensures that he will provide the AELTC with strong leadership for the coming years. For now, we look ahead to continuing our planning for a successful Championships in 2019 and a seamless handover in December 2019.”