From International Rugby Union Player, to Co-Founder and Director at Athlete Career Transition, Andy Moore’s personal journey in sport and business is an adventure experienced by few.
Born in 1974 in the industrial market town of Grantham, Lincolnshire, Andy was destined for sporting stardom and found an interest in athletics from a young age. Keen to develop his knowledge, skills and practice on the pitch, Andy played football as a goalkeeper and was capped at under 18 level after three years with Crewe Alexander FC Youth Centre of Excellence and trials at Manchester United.
It was shortly after that Andy decided to switch to Rugby - a passion then shared with his older brother Steve. His interest in the sport swiftly turned into a career that would bring him unrivalled success over the years. Andy’s professionalism and natural talent for the full-contact team sport meant that he quickly progressed to playing at an elite level.
Aged 21, Andy was capped for Wales against South Africa in Johannesburg. Though his exciting career in rugby did not stop there; in 1995, he signed professional contracts with Swansea RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union, where he went on to win four League titles and two National Cups with Swansea.
Seven years later, Andy moved on from Swansea and signed a contract with Bridgend RFC, where he won yet another League title before taking a position with the Cardiff Blues in 2003. Andy was a significant player to the professional Welsh regional rugby union team and captained there several times. At the peak of his performance, Andy suffered a neck injury in 2004, which brought an abrupt and unexpected end to a career he so loved and had dedicated many years of his life to.
Undeterred by the hand of fate dealt to him, Andy left the sporting arena to pursue his interests in property investment. For three years, he successfully ran his own property investment company before co-founding and developing an award-winning sales and marketing estate agency specialising in the overseas property market. In 2009, Andy joined a Swiss Holding Company listed on the Frankfurt Open Market, holding the position of Chief Operating Officer. A year later, Andy became the Group CEO after months of restructuring and raising funds for the development of the business.
Today, Andy is Co-founder and Director of ACT, the leading career transitional specialists supporting elite athletes throughout their retirement from sport. Inspired by a cancer charity event, where he and 15 other ex-Welsh rugby captains, alongside Warren Gatland, climbed to the top of Kilimanjaro, Andy spotted a unique opportunity. It became apparent to him that there was not enough being done to support athletes with their transition out of professional sport, and as an elite performing athlete who had taken the journey himself, Andy knew the value of a service that could do exactly that.
In 2010, in partnership with former International Rugby Player and brother, Steve Moore, ACT was co-founded and developed, with one key vision for the future in mind. Athlete Career Transition would aspire to support retiring sports professionals as they transition into the corporate business sector. Steve and Andy drew on their personal experiences of sporting retirement and their individual career transitions to lay down the foundations of what quickly became a global enterprise.
To date, ACT has successfully supported a vast number of athletes into new careers following their retirement from sport. Some of their most prolific athlete stories feature world-recognised sports icons including Nzingha Prescod, David Roberts, Grace Luczak and Kim Brennan.
Andy’s role at ACT is a pivotal piece to the business operations, as he’s responsible for sourcing and introducing talent to both ACT and potential employers. With his primary focus on talent acquisition, Andy is the first point of contact for athletes at the very start of their transitional journey. Andy works closely with athletes to understand their personal life stories, their sporting background and the interests, accolades and accomplishments achieved beyond sport.
Renowned for his exceptional work with ACT, his vast contribution to charity and community-driven projects, Andy is well connected with an impressive cohort of athletes, employers and business leaders.
In 2015, both Andy and Steve Moore were listed in the GQ 100 Most Connected Men in Britain.
For Andy, personally, his retirement from International Rugby was unexpected and unprecedent, but through determination, grit and a passion to succeed in all other aspects of life, Andy has triumphed in all future endeavours following his departure from sport. It is hoped that when Andy initially relates to athletes just beginning the very first chapter of their journey, that his personal experience can bring inspiration, encouragement and hope for a prosperous transition into something new.