AC Milan have officially announced that Ivan Gazidis has left his position at Arsenal to take over as Chief Executive Officer at AC Milan.
Gazidis has an incredible track record so far which includes helping create Major League Soccer, and becoming the CEO of Arsenal in 2009. While in charge at Arsenal he helped take them from a private to a publicly traded company, which has doubled their value.
Current Milan Executive President Paolo Scaroni will transfer his duties over to Mr. Gazidis on December 1st, 2018. On that date, Mr. Gazidis will formally be CEO of the Rossoneri.
Paolo Scaroni, Executive Chairman of AC Milan stated: “On behalf of the Board and the entire AC Milan community, we proudly welcome Ivan Gazidis to the club. The CEO role is one we have prioritised from day one of this project and one we have worked diligently upon to get right.
“Ivan Gazidis will bring an unparalleled level of business acumen and football industry experience to the club. He helped establish professional football in the United States; he brought Arsenal to new heights; and we can’t wait for him to get started here in Milan. The fundamentals are now in place for success, which we recognize will take time, hard work, and perseverance.”
In accepting the CEO role, Ivan Gazidis said: “I am very excited to take on this new challenge, and will do everything I can to secure AC Milan’s return to the top. I have a head start in this project thanks to the talented players, hard-working staff, and the sporting leadership of Leonardo De Araujo, Paolo Maldini and Gennaro Gattuso. I am grateful for the trust placed in me by Chairman Paolo Scaroni, the AC Milan board, and the club’s owners.”
Paul Singer, Founder, Co-CEO and Co-CIO of Elliott Management Corporation said: “In the past few months, Chairman Paolo Scaroni, a refreshed Board and a reinvigorated management team, have all instilled a new sense of purpose to AC Milan. Today’s announcement provides the latest example of a club heading in the right direction.
“Ivan Gazidis is a widely respected, highly talented chief executive, and one we expect can lead the club to realise its full potential. Together with Elliott’s continued focus on financial stability and proper oversight, we look forward to on-field success and a world-class fan experience.”
