Meet the team
Ryan Hughes
Founder and CEO
Prior to founding Play-Ex Ryan held various senior management roles within the capital markets and fund management industry.
Ian Entwisle
Co-founder
Ian enjoyed a 30 year career in fund management, most recently as head of fixed interest for a leading investment business.
Robert Newman
Director
Robert a.k.a. Bertie is a former stock broker and private banker with 25 years experience in the investment management industry.
Ben Ryan
Brand ambassador
Olympic winning coach, business and sports consultant and Director of Elite Performance at Premiership club Brentford FC.
Daniel Crowther
Financial controller
Daniel is an award winning chartered accountant.
Ben Cooper
Consultant
Former wealth management operations director.
Jon Gidney
Marketing
Former golf professional Jon is our marketing and sponsorship consultant.
Georgina Bathurst
Brand partnerships
Ex-professional hockey player and brand partnerships expert.
Why did you choose the brand name ‘Play-Ex’?
An exchange is an organised marketplace where buyers and sellers come together. We wanted to create a players’ exchange, and this gave rise to the Play-Ex brand.
Think of Airbnb – they’re the world’s largest provider of accommodation, but they don’t own the properties. Uber offers passenger services but they don’t own the taxis.
Similarly, Play-Ex doesn’t own the life management services on its platform. We are a go-between, creating a safe and secure environment where sporting talent can get first class guidance to help run their busy lives. It’s about security, the best service, saving money and invaluable peace of mind for athletes at all stages of their career.
Why do sports professionals need Play-Ex?
The sports service industry is incredibly fragmented and opaque. Play-Ex gives the first opportunity ever for professional athletes to get instant, unbiased, whole-of-market access to leading industry service providers any time, any place, anywhere.
We are aiming to put all the services of a sports management company in the palm of athletes’ hands, but without the constraints of contracts and fees.
What is the overall mission of Play-Ex?
Our mission is to simplify the way that sports professionals manage their lives. We are standing up for a group of people who have been under served and exploited for too long.
“Fit and proper advice should be a right and not a privilege.”
Ryan Hughes
Straight-talking, simple, transparent.
Play-Ex offers a free, inclusive service with no management fees, no contract and no obligation.
Services are presented on a seamless platform available on smartphone, tablet and laptop.
Play-Ex is an independent platform. Just impartial connections with the right service at the right time.