Zander 'thrilled' to join Saints board as Bevan hails 'significant, long-term investment'
'Lifelong rugby supporter' Steve Zander is looking forward to helping Saints continue to grow after it was announced he has been appointed to the club's board as a non-executive director.
Zander is head of Europe, co-chief investment officer, and a partner at Cross Ocean Partners – and brings more than 30 years’ experience across the credit markets to the role.
As part of his appointment, Zander has also joined Saints’ shareholder group as a minority stakeholder, underlining his long-term commitment to supporting the club on and off the pitch.
It comes at a time when the Gallagher PREM is enjoying a new wave of investment, with Red Bulls taking control at Newcastle and James Dyson getting involved with Bath.
Saints issued circa 1.99 million new ordinary shares, representing a combined shareholding in Northampton Saints PLC of 14.5 per cent, with Zander taking the majority of those shares.
Saints got permission from the club’s existing shareholders earlier this year to issue up to £4m of new shares. This first tranche is worth around 60 per cent of that total.
All of the above, including the £4m total investment, is in the public domain via the GM notice documents.
And Zander said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Northampton Saints’ board at such an important moment for the club and the sport.
“I have been a lifelong rugby supporter, and my wife and I are now at a stage where we are keen to pursue that passion in a more meaningful way, so getting involved with a rugby club felt like the natural next step.
"Saints stood out immediately. The club’s brand of rugby, its strong culture and values, the quality of its coaching and playing group, the passionate fanbase, and the number of talented, largely home-grown internationals coming through all make Northampton a very special place.
"There is a clear sense of ambition here, but also a real authenticity about what the club stands for.
“I’m looking forward to working with (Saints chairman) Ella Bevan and the wider board to support the executive team, bring a fresh perspective where I can, and help to ensure that the club continues to grow in a sustainable way – while staying true to what makes Saints such a unique institution.”
A founding partner of Cross Ocean, Zander is actively involved in all of the firm’s investment strategies and is a member of both its board of directors and management committee.
Prior to Cross Ocean, Zander founded the European Special Situations business in 2012, was a founding senior partner and CIO at Haymarket Financial (now HayFin), and previously served as a managing director and co-head of the Global Loan and Special Situations Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
He is a chartered accountant, having trained at KPMG, and holds a BSc in Biological Sciences (Biotechnology) from the University of Birmingham.
And Bevan is delighted to welcome Zander to Saints, expressing her happiness that the club has been able to attract such 'significant, long-term investment from outside the club'.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Steve to the board of Northampton Saints,” Saints chairman Bevan said.
“His depth of investment expertise, strategic insight and international experience will be a real asset for Saints, and Steve’s decision to back the club as a minority shareholder as well as joining our board is a powerful endorsement of our vision and our future.
“The fact that we are attracting significant, long-term investment from outside the club is hugely positive and speaks volumes about the strength of our strategy, our governance, and the direction in which Saints is heading.
“We are really looking forward to working with Steve as we continue to build sustainably for long-term success on and off the pitch.”