Football
After ten years at the
club, Ian Ayre is set to leave Liverpool FC at the end of February.
In March 2016, Ayre
announced his plans to leave LFC and has played a pivotal role in completing a
ten-month transition plan to put a robust structure and operating framework in
place that will ensure continued stability across the club and pave the way for
the new CEO who is expected to join in the summer.
During his ten years at
Liverpool, Ayre, has transformed and modernised the club, leading a complete
overhaul of Liverpool’s financial, commercial and operational structure. His
work was recognised at the football Business Awards in 2016 when he won the
fcbusiness CEO of the Year Award.
He was instrumental in
masterminding the successful exit of the previous owners and brought
much-needed stability right across the club following the Fenway Sports Group
takeover in 2010.
In the same year, Ayre
secured the shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank - believed to
be one of the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deals in football and
significantly increased commercial revenues for reinvestment into the team.
More recently, he played a
pivotal and crucial role in not only the redevelopment of the Main Stand but as
a key partner in the wider regeneration of the Anfield area.
Ayre will leave LFC at the
end of the month to join TSV 1860 Munich on a date to be confirmed.
As a result of Ayre
stepping down changes have been made to the football structure of the club with
Liverpool's owners moving to significantly extend the contract of Manager
Jurgen Klopp and promoting Michael Edwards to the role of Sporting Director. As
part of this plan, Academy Director Alex Inglethorpe also agreed to extend this
contract keeping him at the club for the long term.
Also last year, and as
part of this structured transition period, FSG promoted Billy Hogan and Andy
Hughes to take on more of the off pitch responsibilities. Hogan, previously Chief Commercial Officer,
now also assumes the title of anaging Director and has seen his portfolio
increase to include management of the Club's marketing and digital media
departments.
Hughes, previously Chief
Financial Officer, now Chief Operating Officer will lead all of the club’s
operational matters as well as maintaining responsibility for the finance
operations.
Speaking on behalf of
Fenway Sports Group Principal Owner John W Henry and Chairman Tom Werner, FSG
President Mike Gordon said: “Although this transition has been nearly a year in
the making, today is still a difficult day—we are officially saying goodbye to
Ian.
“On behalf of John and
Tom, I would like to place on record the outstanding contribution Ian has made
to Liverpool Football Club over the past ten years. It goes without saying that
his leadership of LFC has been instrumental to the club’s progress under our
ownership.
“It is a measure of his
character and his commitment to LFC that we have been able to collectively plan
and execute such a gradual, natural transition.
On both a professional and personal level, he will be missed.
“Over the past year, we
made a number of changes to our management structure by promoting several of
our top employees to more senior positions in recognition of their exceptional
service to LFC.
“Though some of these
changes are already public, today we are formally announcing the promotion of
Billy Hogan to Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, and Andy Hughes
to Chief Operating Officer.
“The promotions are a
reflection of their first-rate performance as executives and carry additions to
their respective roles and responsibilities.
“These changes have
already ushered in improvements to the club’s operations and they will also
serve to ensure management stability during the transition to new executive
leadership.
“The last step remaining
is to conclude the process of identifying and hiring a successor to Ian. We are very pleased with the search progress
and fully expect to have our new CEO in position by our original deadline of
the summer 2017.
“We are quite confident
that LFC will have the right structure and the best people operating within
that structure to fill the lofty ambitions of LFC and its supporters.”
Ian Ayre, added: “There is
no greater professional satisfaction for me than to leave Liverpool Football
Club in much improved health throughout than when I joined the Club in
2007.
“This has always been more
than just a job for me because of the emotional connection I have with the
place. So, the only yardstick that has ever mattered, for every decision I have
taken here, is whether or not it is in the best interests of Liverpool Football
Club.
“My journey here over the
last decade has been a rich mix of challenges and opportunities, a journey only
made possible by the outstanding people I have had the honour to work with
along the way both inside and outside the club.
“As the club transitions
to its next chapter, I made clear some time back that I felt that 2017 was the
right time to step aside. As the club’s
new structure starts to unfold, this is a natural point for me to say goodbye
to the role of Chief Executive and to many friends, but my love and support for
this great football club will continue as it has my whole life.”
Liverpool will announce
the new Chief Executive Officer in due course.
Credit: FCbusiness
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