Ivan Gazidis
Ivan Gazidis | |
---|---|
Born |
Johannesburg, South Africa | 13 September 1964
Residence | London, United Kingdom |
Nationality | Greek / South African |
Alma mater | University of Oxford |
Occupation | Sports business executive |
Employer | Arsenal Football Club |
Title | Chief executive |
Ivan Gazidis (born 13 September 1964 in Johannesburg) is currently the chief executive of English Premier League club Arsenal Football Club.
Gazidis moved to Manchester in the United Kingdom at the age of 4 and attended Manchester Grammar School, where he excelled as a football player, and was also a gifted drummer playing in at least two school-based rock bands. Being an adopted Mancunian from a young age, he supported Manchester City.[1] Later he attended St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, where he was twice awarded a blue playing football against the University of Cambridge in 1984 and 1985.[2][3] He graduated with a degree in law in 1986 and in 1992 he moved to the United States to work for Latham & Watkins.[4]
In 1994 he joined the founding management team of Major League Soccer, becoming in 2001 its deputy commissioner.[3] He oversaw MLS's key strategic and business decisions and its marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing, of which he was president.[5] He also helped promote the Mexican Football Federation and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.[5]
In November 2008 Gazidis accepted the post of chief executive of Arsenal, a post he has formally taken up from 1 January 2009.[6] He succeeds former managing director Keith Edelman and is expected to take over many of the roles formerly undertaken by ex-vice-chairman David Dein.[7]
References
- ↑ "FA get technical on youth development". dailymail.co.uk. 12 February 2008 - Gazidis...professes to be a City fan and went to school in Manchester. Retrieved 10 September 2011. Check date values in:
|date=
(help) - ↑ "Oxford University Association Football Club Varsity Alumni". OUAFC.
- 1 2 "Charles Sale: Arsenal go to U.S. for latest signing". Daily Mail. London. 20 November 2008.
- ↑ "Ivan Gazidis named CEO of Arsenal". MLSNet.com. 26 November 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- 1 2 Wilson, Jeremy (26 November 2008). "Arsenal end search for new chief executive with appointment of Ivan Gazidis". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ↑ "Arsenal name new chief executive". BBC Sport. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ↑ "Arsenal appoint MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis as chief executive". The Times. London. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2010.