Richard Arnold is set to leave Manchester United after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s proposed takeover, with Patrick Stewart taking over in an interim role… so who is he?
Mark Kleinmann of Sky News reported that Richard Arnold will leave his position as CEO of the club at the end of this year.
The news comes just as Sir Jim Ratcliffe is on the brink of completing his 25 per cent acquisition of Manchester United with his Ineos team set to have control over sporting matters at the club.
He will step down as the CEO of Manchester United, meaning Patrick Stewart, is to step in as an interim replacement at the end of the year. Despite being at the club for 17 years, little is known of him. So – who is he?
Who is Man Utd’s new CEO, Patrick Stewart?
According to his LinkedIn, Patrick Stewart is a current C-Suite executive with over two decades at the top end of the football industry.
As well as being a director of Manchester United’s NYSE-listed parent company, he serves as the club’s General Counsel, has responsibility for stakeholder relations and is a member of several Premier League and FA committees and working groups.
Additionally, he is an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, having been nominated by the European Clubs Association in 2018.
This is all obviously set to change in his new interim role as CEO.
Patrick Stewart Man Utd background
According to The Athletic, Stewart joined United in 2006, becoming their chief legal officer and general counsel, responsible for overseeing the club’s legal and regulatory affairs and managing relationships with key stakeholders, such as the Premier League.
He’s been in the role for 17 years, but the step up to CEO is a completely different ball game.
The Athletic’s article also shared some inside source quotes on the new chief executive officer, which were as follows:
“He handles the Premier League meetings well and isn’t afraid to get involved in policy matters. He is a process-driven lawyer and a nice enough guy.
“If you don’t want to end up in a legal mess and need someone to manage a short-term process, then Patrick is more than capable of being that person.”
How long will Patrick Stewart be Man Utd CEO for
At this moment in time, this is relatively uncertain.
The new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have a clear plan on how he wants the club to be run, whether Stewart is in those plans, ultimately remains to be seen.
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