The role of CEO at the PSA is without question one of the most important jobs in squash, as this person is responsible for servicing the needs of the 300 something events per year, the 450 tour players and a myriad of other stakeholders in the sport such as promoters, sponsors and broadcasters.  You would be forgiven for thinking that’s all the job entails; after all, those things take up a lot of time.  There is however significantly more to this job than meets the eye.
 
Squash is still a young sport in comparison to others like Tennis and golf.  Squash had a boom period back in the 80’s where the likes of Jahangir Khan and Jonnah Barrington achieved iconic sporting status; but because there wasn’t a good enough marketing and administrational framework in place to properly exploit it, the boom ended, sponsors went elsewhere, the big events got fewer in number, media coverage diminished and the question was raised: ‘What the hell do we do now?’
 
Things happen in cycles though, and it seems like squash might be on the verge of another boom, thanks to the hard work of countless individuals around the world who are relentlessly trying to promote the sport.  The boom will only happen though if certain things are done to exploit the opportunities that are knocking very softly at the door.  A few of the main things that Mr. Graham will have his work cut out on are:
 
Calendar Congestion – Re-ordering the major events so players can spend less time in airport lounges and with jet lag, and more time on the court uninjured

Television – Working with Pro-Active, the PSA TV producers as well as other event host broadcasters to improve the production quality of all PSA major events and to secure Live broadcast deals around the world

Sponsorship – Implementing changes across the sport which will make squash a viable sponsorship option for the Coca-Cola’s and Sony’s of the world, but also for existing smaller brand sponsors to increase their financial investment in the sport, which will play a key role in raising the prize money on offer
 
Those are the big issues at hand, but there are plenty of other things that will keep Mr. Graham busy.  The sports Olympic ambitions will almost certainly be on his agenda, as will things like developing the association’s relationship with the media.
 
There is a lot of expectation being placed on Mr. Graham and what he can do to take the professional game forward.  Many hope that his arrival will be the catalyst which will helps elevate squash to a level where the whole sport will enjoy new growth, exposure and success.


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