Arsenal have confirmed that CEO Vinai Venkatesham will leave the club at the end of the season.
Venkatesham joined the club in 2010 to head up the global partnerships team and has worked his way up through the ranks – accelerating at speed in the aftermath of Ivan Gazidis’ departure – to become chief commercial officer and managing director before taking up his current role in 2020.
Vinai also represents Arsenal on the board of the European Club Association (ECA) – a role he briefly resigned during the Super League debacle – and the UEFA Club Competitions.
“This was a tough decision,” Vinai told Arsenal.com, “but it is time to pursue another challenge. Now is not the time for goodbyes as I remain focused until my last day and supporting a seamless transition.”
Josh Kroenke says it’s business as normal for the foreseeable future and thanked Vinai for his efforts.
“The Board is fully supportive of Vinai’s desire to pursue his next challenge,” reads a statement from the club’s co-chair.
“Whilst it is business as usual with everyone focused on the season ahead, we’d like to take this moment to thank him for his contribution and long service. Vinai will always be part of the Arsenal family and always welcome back at Emirates Stadium.
“Change and succession is something the club is well prepared for. The Board remains committed to our strategy and will address leadership change as we continue to drive the club forward.”
Having found Vinai very engaging and courteous in our dealings with him over the last few years, we’ll be very sad to see him go.
It’ll be interesting to see who steps up to replace him when the time comes.
Step forward BFG
Big Financial German
Yup. He will have a Big Financial Gameplan too 🙂
Per should stay at Hale End for the foreseeable future. The job he’s doing there is absolutely brilliant.
Waiting for someone here or on Twitter to suggest Arsene for the role
Cazorla in.
Santi Cashorla
Oh yeah
If he’s responsible for our commercials deals then he cant leave soon enough.
This post is getting negative attention but it’s absolutely right. Vinai was in charge of commercial revenue. Swiss Ramble pointed out our inability to raise revenue every year and yet Vinai was promoted to CEO. How is that possible? He is a good man but I am glad he is leaving.
The fact Arsenal has spent 6 seasons out of the Champions league, hasn’t won a League title in 2 decades and has been overtaken on the pitch by Chelsea, City, Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham is the reason for poor commercial deals. One decent- ish season in the League and you think Arsenal deserve big commercial deals. Typical deluded Arsenal fan.
I get Chelsea and City (cheating fuckers), but you lost me at Spuds and perennial relegation battlers West Ham in your list of clubs who’ve “overtaken us on the pitch.”
Doesn’t your own team do a blog that you can go and write shit opinions on?
How did this eejit sneak through?! Rectified now.
Never saw him surviving the Don Raul debacle, but fair play to him it seems he managed to keep his nose clean and then helped usher in the new era.
nose clean literally. raul was all about that white powder
Do leave off mate FFS.
Should have been sacked after the super League attempt. Whatever role he had in the dodgy Raul deals would also interest me.
Agreed. The super league debacle was an embarrassment to the fans of this great club. Just want the footy back. The less we hear about billionaires and their yes men the better.
Proud lone supporter of the Super League.
So you’d rather Arsenal would have been left behind? Shrewd move.
I think most fans would prefer the superleague to not exist at all, but if it did happen would rather Arsenal in it then out of it. Thankfully, didnt come to that.
Not sure how much say, if any, Vinai had when it came to the Super League decision, so to suggest he should be sacked is pretty harsh. And sacked by who? The owners who definitely did want to be involved…that doesn’t really make sense!
Wow. That came as a bolt out of the blue.
Keeping an organisation fresh is important, and although the beginning of his tenure was choppy, I feel some of the stability we have felt in recent years is a consequence of him holding his nerve, not firing Arteta for 8 place finishes, and allowing him to do his work. I wish him well
To be fair it probably wasn’t going to be down to him if Arteta gets fired…that credit probably goes to the Kroenkes..
That’s got eff all to do with him!!
Flamini
Excellent shout. Now that he’s a billionaire maybe he can own the club someday. Dream stuff.
Flamoney
Josh really must be spending a lot of time in London now if he’s using the word “Whilst” in press releases.
Or maybe he didn’t write it himself 🤔
Doesn’t seem like it’s a role where being former player is likely to be an advantage. Different skillset, although some ex pros might have acquired it.