WRU set to appoint first female Chief Executive as Abi Tierney leaves UK Government passport job

Ms Tierney's appointment follows a turbulent time for the WRU, with the organisation accused of sexism earlier in the year. Credit: UK Government

The Welsh Rugby Union is set to announce Abi Tierney as its first female Chief Executive tomorrow, Thursday 17 August.

It follows a turbulent few months for the union, which faced allegations of sexism and misogyny at the start of the year.

In the wake of the accusations, CEO Steve Phillips resigned from his post, though none of the allegations related specifically to him.

Following Mr Phillips' departure, Nigel Walker stepped into the job as Interim-CEO.

WRU Director of Rugby Nigel Walker Credit: PA Images

In June, the union was accused of "systemic failures in culture" in a damning report published by a Senedd committee.

The committee also concluded that the organisation missed opportunities to "act on concerning behaviour" and it felt "little would have changed within the WRU" had the allegations not been made public.

Last year, the WRU CEO took home £359,000.

Ms Tierney was appointed Director General of His Majesty's Passport Office in February 2020. Credit: PA Images

Who is Abi Tierney?

  • She was appointed Director General, HM Passport Office and UK Visas and Immigration in February 2020, according to the UK Government

  • She is Director General leading customer services and was appointed to the role of Home Office Ethics Adviser in June 2023

Before joining the Civil Service, Ms Tierney was the Business Development Director at Serco Health, which delivers healthcare support services around the world.

She also held a number of operational roles in Serco, including Regional Director and Chief Executive of Suffolk Community Services.

Prior to this, Ms Tierney was a Director at University Hospitals of Leicester and Aberdeen City Council, and was previously Marketing Leader for IBM’s Global Services Business.

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