Tottenham appoint Vinai Venkatesham, former Arsenal CEO, as new chief executive

Tottenham Hotspur have added to their hierarchy by appointing former Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham as their new CEO.

The 44-year-old left Tottenham’s north London rivals at the end of last season after more than a decade in which he occupied various roles and helped drive significant progress on and off the pitch.

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Venkatesham will start in the summer and take responsibility for all operational matters on and off the field. He has a healthy long-term relationship with the Spurs executive chairman Daniel Levy and the pair will work closely. There is sure to be a mutual confidence that Venkatesham and Levy can form an ideal partnership to improve all areas of the club.

He is expected to be heavily involved in stakeholder management with bodies such as the Premier League and European Club Association (ECA), where he built an excellent relationship during his time at Arsenal.

Few executives have held such high-level positions at more than one top-flight team, with Peter Kenyon (Manchester United and Chelsea) and Omar Berrada (Manchester City and Manchester United) perhaps the most notable examples.

“I’m excited to be joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer,” Venkatesham told the Tottenham website. “After taking some time to recharge and evaluate my options, I believe this is an exceptional opportunity to work with Daniel, the Board and all of the staff, to take the club forward.”

Venkatesham previously worked on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is widely regarded across the sports industry as a leading operator.

He did not depart the Emirates Stadium for another job and, while taking time out, received opportunities from inside and outside of football — including other Premier League teams, as well as in the United States, Saudi Arabia and private equity.

What has Venkatesham achieved in his career?

Analysis by Arsenal writer James McNicholas

Venkatesham joined Arsenal in 2010 as head of global partnerships and moved up through the organisation before being named as one of two successors to CEO Ivan Gazidis in the summer of 2018. Raul Sanllehi was named head of football, while Venkatesham was appointed as managing director. The idea was for Sanllehi to lead on sporting matters, with Venkatesham leading on business, commercial and operations.

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When Sanllehi left Arsenal in August 2020, Venkatesham assumed full responsibility as chief executive. His time at Arsenal saw him involved in the appointment of key personnel such as Edu, Richard Garlick and Mikel Arteta — it was Venkatesham who was pictured outside Arteta’s Manchester home shortly before his arrival as Arsenal manager.

During his tenure, Arsenal returned to the Champions League and re-established themselves as a club competing for major honours. Working alongside the Arsenal board, Venkatesham also helped guide the club through the turbulence of the coronavirus pandemic and substantially improve revenue.

He served 14 years at Arsenal across six different roles. In September 2023, it was announced he would leave Arsenal at the end of the 2023-24 season. At 43 years of age, he felt the time was right to move on and explore other opportunities.

Venkatesham left on good terms with his contribution held in high regard. Many of the management team he installed are still in place, and Arsenal’s continued progress is indicative of the stability and structure he brought to the club.

Outside of Arsenal, he has extensive experience in sport. He received an OBE for services to sport in the 2024 New Year Honours List, having served as an independent non-executive director of the British Olympic Association (BOA) since 2017. He also worked on the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics as well as the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. In 2024, Venkatesham was named as the independent chair of a new advisory board appointed to oversee the future development of Wembley Stadium.

What this means for Spurs

Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

Venkatesham’s appointment as CEO raises some interesting questions about the state of Tottenham’s hierarchy.

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Levy has been the chairman since 2001 but there has been a lot of change underneath him over the last few years. Fabio Paratici became Spurs’ director of football in June 2021 but resigned just under two years later. Paratici stepped down from the role because his appeal against a worldwide ban from FIFA, for alleged financial malpractice while he worked for Juventus, was rejected.

Todd Kline joined Spurs at the same time as Paratici as chief commercial officer (CCO). He was tasked with finding a naming-rights partner for the stadium but he left last year without having achieved that. After a period of gardening leave, Kline took up a similar position with Chelsea.

In September 2023, Scott Munn became Tottenham’s chief football officer (CFO) and two months later, Johan Lange arrived from Aston Villa as technical director. Munn is in charge of all footballing departments, including the academy and the women’s team, while Lange oversees player recruitment.

Paratici’s 30-month ban from football activity expires on June 30. However, due to a successful appeal which reduced the scope of the ban, he has been able to work as a consultant over the last couple of years. The Italian is still regularly spotted at home games and is a trusted advisor to Levy.

Venkatesham’s arrival might result in a reshuffle and responsibilities being changed. The hope will be that he can provide some stability and direction.

(Visionhaus/Getty Images)

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