English soccer giants Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Chris Jurasek as the club’s new chief executive, while president of business Tom Glick is set to leave after 10 months in the role.
Jurasek joins the club from US private equity firm Clearlake Capital, where he served as an operating executive. Clearlake Capital is the co-owner of Chelsea alongside a consortium of investors led by Todd Boehly.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Jurasek is tasked with overseeing all business areas at Chelsea. He will report to the board alongside co-sporting directors Laurance Steward and Paul Winstanley.
He said: “I’m delighted to be joining Chelsea, a club which is loved and followed all over the world. I’m enormously proud to be leading it into the next chapter in its rich history.
“We have huge opportunities to grow on and off the pitch and to engage our exceptional fans both in London and wherever they are supporting us from.”
Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano, co-controlling owners of Chelsea FC, added: “Chris’ skill and expertise will help us to drive the club forward in all areas, particularly in supporting our long-term plans for Chelsea.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“Our focus will continue to be on ensuring the club is competitive and sustainable both from a sporting and business perspective, with a talented and ambitious leadership team.”
Jurasek’s arrival at Stamford Bridge is expected to coincide with the departure of Glick, who was only appointed last July. In a statement, the club said Glick wanted “to pursue other opportunities” and would work with Jurasek in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition before leaving.
Glick previously worked at New York City FC and the City Football Group, owners of English soccer champions Manchester City, and was charged with building Chelsea’s commercial arm.
His exit will see control of the club’s commercial activities handed to Jurasek.
The leadership change, which was reported as being the works earlier in May, comes after a difficult first year for the club’s new owners, who took over from long-term custodian Roman Abramovic. The men’s team finished 12th in the 2022-23 Premier League after manager Graham Potter was replaced with interim Frank Lampard.
The club has since named former Paris Ssaint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, and Southampton FC manager Mauricio Pochettino as head coach of the men’s team.
Meanwhile, Dutch soccer giants Ajax have announced that Edwin van der Sar has resigned as chief executive of the club and will leave his role in August.
The former Ajax goalkeeper, who also played for Manchester United, joined the top-tier Eredivisie side’s marketing team in 2012 and climbed up the ranks, becoming chief executive in 2016. His contract was due to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, but his resignation will be effective from Wednesday.
In a statement, he said: “After almost eleven years on the board, I am done. We have experienced wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly tough period.
“I am very grateful for the people I have met and worked with during my second career at Ajax, and what we have achieved and been through together. I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things.
“It doesn’t feel good to take decisions about the future of this wonderful club in the coming period. That is why I have decided to resign.”
Since Van der Sar took over as chief executive, the team has qualified for the top-tier European Champions League annually and won the Eredivisie three times. They have also been crowned champions of the KNVB domestic cup competition twice.
His tenure also saw the appointment of Ten Hag as manager of the men’s first team, who oversaw the club’s most successful seasons, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019. Ten Hag then moved to English soccer giants Manchester United ahead of the 2022-23 season.
However, this season saw Ten Hag’s successor Alfred Schreuder sacked in January with John Heitinga taking over. The team then lost the final of the KNVB Cup and finished third in the league behind champions Feyenoord and second-placed PSV Eindhoven.
The result means the team miss out on Champions League qualification for the first time since 2009. They will instead compete in the second-tier Europa League next season.
Pier Eringa, chair of Ajax’s supervisory board, said: “We wanted Edwin to stay, but he had made his decision. We have to respect that.
“The last season does not reflect the entire period that he has been in charge of Ajax. The club has seen a lot of success, has seen a lot of growth, and gained international exposure.
“Edwin will be available for the transfer and advice until August. We expect to announce a new board of directors after August 1. It’s our ambition to add someone to the board with an Ajax background.”
