Jonny Gray (sports executive)

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Jonny Gray
Born
Jonathan Dunlop Gray

(1962-09-27) 27 September 1962 (age 63)
Education St John's College, University of Cambridge
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Staff College, Camberley
OccupationsFormer army officer; sports executive

Jonathan (Jonny) Gray (born 27 September 1962) is a former British army officer and sports executive. He served as the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) from 2019 to 2022.

Contents

Life and career

Gray was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1962. He attended Merchiston Castle School. [1] He later completed an MPhil in International Relations at St John’s College, University of Cambridge. [2]

He completed officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he won the Sword of Honour. He later attended the Army Staff College. Gray was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1984 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1999. [3] [4] In 2002 he commanded the 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Northern Ireland during The Troubles [5] . The Battalion was awarded The Wilkinson Sword of Peace by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for its work in Belfast in the aftermath of the Holy Cross Dispute [6] . Gray then deployed with the battalion to the Iraq War in 2004. [7] In Iraq, he was involved in the "Battle of Yellow Three" in Al-Amarah in spring 2004. [8] [9] During that battle he became surrounded but extracted in the back of a Warrior APC driven by LCpl Johnson Beharry who received the Victoria Cross for his part in this and other battles [10] . Gray's vehicle was also hit by a Rocket Propelled Grenade in another incident. [11] Gray received the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in 2004. [12] [13]

After leaving the Army in 2005, Gray joined Control Risks. He later became Global Head of Sport at the company [14] [15] [16] [17]

In October 2019, following governance changes, the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board appointed Gray as the first chief executive of the Tennis Integrity Unit (replaced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in 2021). The ITIA was the first legally independent regulator of a major world sport. [18] [19] [20] Gray stepped down as CEO in 2022 having made a 'significant contribution to integrity in tennis'. [21] [22] [23]

From 2022 to 2025, Gray worked at Ankura, in its sports advisory practice. [24] [25] [26]

In 2023, he joined the International Table Tennis Federation’s Integrity Board. [27] [28]

In 2025, he formed his consultancy firm Gray Buxton and Associates. [29] It was announced in 2025 that he had been retained as senior advisor by Howden insurance brokers in its Sport and Entertainment Division. [30] [31] [32]

Other interests

In 2012, Gray was elected to be a member of The Royal Company Of Archers, the King's Bodyguard for Scotland. [1] In 2021, he was appointed as a President of SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity in Scotland. [33]

References

  1. 1 2 https://www.merchistonians.co.uk/downloads/A5%20Merchistonian%20Dec14v2.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. "Jonny Gray". International Sports Convention. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  3. "Page 12977 | Supplement 49877, 24 September 1984 | ..." The Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  4. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/55543/page/7302
  5. "Memorial for fallen Scots soldiers". 2 March 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  6. "Queen gives Iraq service medals". 9 November 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  7. "The soldiers who fear they are fighting a forgotten war". Gethin Chamberlain. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  8. Mills, Dan (2007). Sniper One. St Martins Press. pp. 57–71.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. Holmes, Richard (2006). Dusty Warriors. Harper Collins. pp. 130–134.
  10. Beharry VC, Johnson (2007). Barefoot Soldier. Hachette. pp. 14–21.
  11. "Soldiers caught in roadside bomb". 19 April 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  12. "Page 5130 | Supplement 57269, 23 April 2004 | Londo..." The Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  13. "Successful Leadership By Anyone's Standards-Yet with Humility: Lt Colonel (Retd) Jonny Gray with Jonathan Bowman-Perks". jonathanperks.com. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  14. "Page 4713 | Supplement 57610, 12 April 2005 | Londo..." The Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  15. "World Of Sport | Professional Security". Professional Security. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  16. "Jonathan Gray - Host City speaker". www.hostcity.com. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  17. "Stats Perform secures new partnership with Control Risks". 8 October 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  18. "Tennis appoints risk expert Jonny Gray as first TIU chief executive". 17 October 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  19. "ITIA - jonny gray appointed chief executive officer tennis integrity unit". ITIA. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  20. Cronin, Ben (17 October 2019). "Control Risks' Gray to lead newly-empowered Tennis Integrity Unit". SportBusiness. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  21. Fletcher, Robert (25 April 2022). "Gray to exit as CEO of International Tennis Integrity Agency". iGB. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  22. Insider, Gambling (25 April 2022). "Jonny Gray to step down as ITIA CEO". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  23. "Jonny Gray steps down as ITIA CEO following 'significant contributions'". 25 April 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  24. "Global consultancy Ankura launches sports advisory practice". www.consultancy.uk. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  25. "Ankura Announces Global Sports Advisory Practice and Appointment of Industry Expert, Jonny Gray". Ankura.com. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  26. Ankura. "Ankura Announces Global Sports Advisory Practice and Appointment of Industry Expert, Jonny Gray". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  27. https://documents.ittf.sport/sites/default/files/public/2024-02/2024_AGM_documents_EN_0.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  28. "Jonny Gray". Ankura.com. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  29. "GBA | Sports Consulting". www.graybuxton.com. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  30. "Howden appoints Jonny Gray as Senior Advisor to its Sport & Entertainment practice". www.howdengroupholdings.com. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  31. Jain, Saumya (19 September 2025). "Howden adds Jonny Gray as a Senior Advisor to its Sport and Entertainment practice - Reinsurance News". ReinsuranceNe.ws. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  32. "Howden expands sport insurance team with senior advisor appointment". www.insurancebusinessmag.com. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  33. "Edinburgh and Lothians welcomes new team members! | News | SSAFA". www.ssafa.org.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2026.