Richard Mason joins Alex Thomson on the 5 West Ltd executive team
by Alex Thomson Racing 31 Jan 2023 21:40 AEDT
Richard Mason © Alex Thomson Racing
5 West Ltd, best known for managing Alex Thomson Racing, has today announced that Richard Mason has joined the yacht and campaign management company as Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Richard brings vast amounts of experience from his 23-year career as a professional sailor and shore team manager. His sailing CV includes five round-the-world races, America's Cup campaigns and numerous superyacht events. Richard joins 5 West from The Ocean Race where he has worked for the last eight years. Most recently as Executive Director and COO, he held several positions during his time with the race, including management roles covering race operations, route strategy, stakeholder and team engagement and crisis management.
The timing of this appointment is extremely pertinent given the IMOCA classes first foray into the crewed Ocean Race. Alex Thomson and his team are at the forefront of the development of the IMOCA class, on the technical side they have led the way pushing design boundaries and have also been instrumental in bringing both the class and its race circuit to a growing international audience. Following Alex's decision after the last Vendee Globe race to step back from racing, the company is using its model and experience to actively expand its portfolio of managing high-performance yachts and racing campaigns, and Richard's depth of experience will be an invaluable asset as the company continues its legacy of success.
Alex Thomson said "Richard is a powerhouse of the professional yachting world and has demonstrated that he has what it takes to run a complex operation where the stakes are high. The key to this is strategic planning, process and experience. Emma Kettle, our CEO, and I are looking forward to working alongside Richard to continue to grow our business. I am also looking forward to getting out on the water with Richard soon!"
Richard Mason said: "I have always admired Alex and what he has achieved on and off the water. With his team, he managed to build one of the most commercially successful ocean racing teams of all time, and to keep a partner like HUGO BOSS for 20 years is a testament to the returns he delivered over and over again. I am very proud of what we achieved with the Ocean Race in bringing in the IMOCA class and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing where we can take this business."