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Durban - Having been in the position as CEO of the Dolphins for a little over a year and just starting to sink his teeth into his role, Pete de Wet’s reign at the franchise will come to an end at the end of July when he and his family relocate to New Zealand.
The former sports marketing and sponsorship expert, who started at Kingsmead in April 2015, brought with him an element of freshness during his short command as he looked to realise the goal of the Dolphins becoming the No 1 franchise in South Africa.
“The decision to leave the Dolphins is a purely personal one and has been an extremely difficult one that I, together with my young family, have thought long and hard about,” said De Wet.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Dolphins and believe our plans to achieve our ultimate goal is starting to gather momentum so it is disappointing to hand over the reins so soon.
“I have however been made a very exciting offer to become the Chief Executive of the Central Districts Cricket Association in Napier and am looking forward to the new challenge and opportunity that presents,” he added.
During his time at the Dolphins, De Wet managed to bring about some positive change, including a revamp of the franchise’s brand, upgrade of much of Kingsmead - home of the Dolphins - and saw the team finish as runners up in the 2015/16 RAM Slam T20 Challenge.
De Wet was also proud of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union’s recognition at the KZN Sports Awards when the union won the prestigious KZN Federation of the Year Award.
“There have been some great highs and a few challenges during my time here in Durban but on a whole I am confident that the pathway the Franchise is on is one that will ultimately see the Dolphins become a force to be reckoned with, something that the players, coaches, administrators, sponsors and fans alike all want.
“Despite not being a part of that journey with the Dolphins any longer, I wish everyone everything of the best for the future and look forward to seeing the great results that I’m sure will be achieved shortly both on and off the field.
“I, along with the board, am determined to ensure that we identify and appoint a strong and experienced individual to continue the momentum that we have started to develop during the past year” he added.
Chairperson of the Dolphins’ Board, Graham Abrahams and KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union President, Faeez Jaffar echoed De Wet’s belief in the franchise’s current direction and wished him well for his new venture.
“While we are sad to see Pete go, we are grateful for the positive impact he has made in such a short time and for the processes he has put in place, and we are fully committed to ensuring they are continued going forward,” said Abrahams.
“On behalf of KZNCU, we wish Pete and his family everything of the best as they start a new chapter in their lives and look forward to our paths crossing at some stage in the future as both parties look to continue contributing to the game we all love,” added Jaffar.
The search for De Wet’s successor is already underway and will be announced in due course.
