Douglas Struth Email & Phone Number

Greater Edinburgh Area

• Overall leadership of the Edinburgh Rugby professional team, business, and operations. • Managing a £multi million operating budget and c.95 FTE - including players and coaches. • Member of Scottish Rugby’s Executive Team and attend Scottish Rugby Union Limited Board meetings by invitation of the Chair. • Chair of URC Sporting & Regulatory Committee, member of URC CEO Committee, and previously attended EPCR Board Meetings as a nominated Alternate Director. • Developed and delivered the club's Vision, Strategy and supporting Business Plan - BUILD, ENGAGE, WIN, SUSTAIN. • Completed new £5.7m stadium, under budget, during the Covid-19 pandemic.• Developed and integrated the club’s values – INDEPENDENT, VIBRANT, COLLABORATIVE, and CHALLENGING. • Established the first ever Edinburgh Rugby Women’s team. • Increased Season Ticket holders by 61% and average home crowds by 81%. Record season ticket sales and crowds achieved year-on-year - the fastest growing club in the URC for crowds. • Doubled locally generated income - with ticketing income having trebled. Record ticketing and commercial sponsorship income achieved year-on-year• Doubled 1872 Cup home attendance - the highest ever crowd in the history of the club. Quadrupled 1872 Cup home game income. • Integrated the Academy and increased Scottish Qualified players in the 1st team from 75% to 90%. • Consistently achieving NPS of over 65 for home matches.• Achieving average 25% social media growth year-on-year (the fastest growing social media channels in the URC) and currently the 2nd highest engagement per follower rates across URC, PRL and TOP14. • Reached URC Semi Finals in 2019/20 and Quarter Finals in 2021/22. Reached EPCR knock-out stages every season. • New and profitable Hospitality offering implemented;• Overall cost base of the club reduced, facilitating increased investment in facilities, people and performance.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

• Member of Scottish Rugby’s senior leadership team, led the internal legal and governance team to provide advice and support across all areas of Scottish Rugby and its stakeholders. • Highlights included: - Attending Scottish Rugby Union Limited Board and Board Committee meetings; - Appointed as Secretary to the Scottish Rugby Council and as Scottish Rugby’s Data Protection Lead; - Utilising my knowledge of Scottish Rugby’s governance framework to advise the Union’s Standing Committee on Governance across 3 governance reviews;- Advising and delivering a range of projects and initiatives including CVC investment into URC; Agenda 3; Super Series; major event bids such as the SFA, concerts and football; the development of the wider Murrayfield property estate; the Scottish Rugby Academies; development partnerships with other professional rugby teams and unions; the re-brand of Edinburgh Rugby; and the potential sourcing of external investment into Scottish Rugby’s professional rugby assets; - Advising and representing players during World Rugby, URC and EPCR disciplinary proceedings; - Working collaboratively with World Rugby, URC and EPCR on the development and implementation of World Rugby, tournament, operational and commercial rules and regulations; - Supporting relevant areas to discharge the Union’s responsibilities in respect of community rugby, child protection & safeguarding, player welfare, club sustainability and participation/player retention levels; - Advising on sensitive, often high profile, employment related matters and internal disciplinary/appeal proceedings.

Edinburgh

Worked directly with the CEO, General Counsel, Board, Executive team and various shareholders/investors (including private equity) on strategic projects/M & A, capital raising, contracts, litigation and intellectual property. Highlights included: acquiring a c£1 billion credit card business from MBNA; the c£747m acquisition of Northern Rock from the UK Government; the c£17m sale of Church House Trust Bank and its assets; the Virgin Money London Marathon sponsorship contract; the Newcastle United shirt sponsorship contract; and settling a c£25 million breach of contract claim through successful complex mediation.

Jersey

I provided legal support to the RBS Group’s offshore bank (Corporate, Wealth Management, Retail and Treasury functions). Operating across 11 countries and working on strategic projects, contractual, operational, product and regulatory matters.Highlights included: attendance at Offshore Corporate Board, RBS Group Legal Senior Management Board and Offshore Exco; establishing and managing the first Offshore Legal Panel; migrating an entire banking business (including staff and assets) across legal entities through an Act of the Parliament (and winning the RBS Group Excellence Award for this); and managing the intra-group migration of a c£400 million mortgage portfolio.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Advised on commercial contracts, with a focus on sponsorship/marketing, procurement and IT/IP matters.Highlights included the RBS Six Nations agreement; the Williams F1 agreement; the Natwest Series cricket agreement; and personal sponsorship agreements with Andy Murray, Luke Donald, Sachin Tendulkar and Paula Creamer. During 2007, I was seconded as the RBS Group’s Intellectual Property Manager, protecting and enforcing RBS’ global intellectual property portfolio and managing an annual budget of c.£4million.

Greater Edinburgh Area

I completed legal training comprising three seats of eight months duration in the Property, Employment and Banking teams at one of Scotland’s biggest law firms

Llb (Hons), Law

Diploma In Legal Practice

Education record