Everton announce significant changes at executive level

Elstone gone, Rooney going on an Atlantic crossing, Bill Kenwright tearfully vacating his desk, Walsh doing likewise and a new, true, director of football replacing him will hopefully follow. All we need then is the new manager in place and welcome to Everton 2018-plus!

First off, Alexander Ryzantsev is heading up the marketing and commerce. Then, Keith Harris is to oversee the stadium move. Next we need Brands in charge of transfers and recruitment. This then leaves DBB in charge of the day-to-day aspects and overseeing the lot.

Up until now, Robert Elstrone had been doing the lot. A clear separation of the roles means these jobs can be given full consideration. And DBB can take a supervisory role and report to the board.

It also means less authority for Kenwright surely.

These are just my initial thoughts, but I look forward to Paul (the Esk) and Everton Business Matters properly dissecting it all.

BK still in place as chairman. John Woods replaced by Keith Harris as his deputy, with particular responsibility (in his own words) of 'taking the lead in the Club's most important projects, from first-team football matters to the new stadium project.'

DB-B promoted to CEO but there is no description on her areas of responsibility. No reference of a new deputy CEO in her place.

Moshiri's hit man Alexander (Sasha) Ryazantsev takes responsibility for the Club's Financial and Commercial performance. He is quoted as saying:

"I'm really pleased to be taking up the position of Chief Finance and Commercial Officer and to be supporting Denise in the running of this great Football Club. We're all fully committed to making the most of the opportunities we have, including growing our commercial revenues and delivering a new stadium, while ensuring we run the business in a sustainable way. This new structure presents us with clear lines of responsibility and accountability and provides us with a strong platform to move forward from."

Not the completely new broom and sweeping away of the old as some of us hoped for.

Still no sign of the man resigning even though he promised to go when he was 70.

I guess it just like the rest of his rhetoric - unbelievable.

It's been a nightmare journey for all supporters and the worst part is the gut instinct and intuition for Evertonians, to know that the board has consistently screwed up major descisions and taken the proverbials.

Events this season must surely open their eyes to the reality of life and business in running a football club, with view to win and win well with style and manner.

No miracle overnight cure is expected but an oil change and new working parts in the board room will hopefully get the business on the park, moving in the right direction. It got can't get worse than the last 4 years.

Tomorrow I'm doing a Madrid win double, I hope it signals the start of a turn in fortunes for all Evertonians.

Moshiri is being pro active in shaking up the club from top to bottom, good on him . It is a mixture of relief and admiration that something is being done immediately after the season from hell has finished.

Really good to see some accountability at last. We were ran like a 1970's boys club for the past 30 years, with no modern management structures in place whatsoever. This was mainly down to Bill, who never wanted any outside interference.

It can only improve our off-field performance. Let's hope nobody gives BK the new managers mobile no.

Moshiri is not on a power trip. He's in this to make money. There is only one way for him to really make money and that's to deliver the Stadium. It's clear that he is focusing one man on the Stadium, another on keeping a tight hold of the club's finances, and Brands will surely come in to oversee the football side, and if the theories produced here are correct, then he will approach from the view of signing top young talent, producing our own, and buying less ready made players.

I think it's very clear what Moshiri is trying to do next, and he won't be making any massive splurges in the market. He wants to focus on consolidation of top 8, play some better football to keep the mob happy, but most of all to deliver the stadium so he can sell for a significant profit.

I don't want to hear about our charity work.
I support a football team and if I wanted to support a charity I would by a season ticket at Cancer Research and cheer on the scientists.
I hate the way we are run. I hate the sanctimonious crap. I want us to act like a proper football club where success is measured on the field, not by our work in the community.

It reminds me of the Harry Enfield sketch, Smashy and Nicey. "I don't like to talk about my charity work, mate, but I do a lot of good work for charity."

NB: I'm not a bad person.

But her presentation at the General Meeting in January is impressive. She speaks well and communicates with passion. Even at a way-too-tall podium with Fat Head sitting directly behind her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTKLJKtFp8g

She's got a glowing endorsement already as far as I'm concerned. Kev's post at #20 is, I believe, the first positive thing I've ever seen from him on Everton management.

Actions Lady and Gentlemen, Actions.

As regards the Board reshuffle ToffeeWeb contributors now have even more targets at which to aim their fire and fury.

I agree. The only difference between Bates and BK is that Bates had the balls to say things to peoples faces

Having now read the announcement it's clear that she will lead a team of people whose roles are very much suited to their experience, so I'm much less concerned that I was.

Apparently the main reason Denise Barrett Baxendale has been appointed CEO is that her name is so long it will be hard to fit on many banners when people want her out this time next week.

Following that logic, that excludes you or anyone else ever making any comment or offering an opinion on our manager or players, unless they have been a PL manager or PL player.

Cue tumbleweeds blowing through the ghost town of TW that was once a thriving boisterous frontier mining town of precious gems and fool's gold.

It looks like a smart choice and clarification of roles should also go along away to clearing the muddle. Replacing Woods and acquiring his shares leaves Moshiri in control of the football club. Having Bill remain chairman means that he can be there on match days to glad hand those that visit.

Chairman is a nice title, but in reality, has reduced influence. A corporate evaluation would see this as an intelligent evolution that allows for progress without wholesale destabilization. It has the hallmark of an owner who is principally, a financial manager.

We have a CEO that is intelligent, articulate and passionate about the club. Lets have more like her, please!

Alexander Ryzantsev and Keith Harris are the money movers and shakers Moshiri signed to make that happen. Doubt they'll have anything to do with the "footballing" side of the Club. The two are in to make the new stadium happen. Good stuff.

Given those two, what's the beef with Barrett-Baxendale? She's led the only part of Everton legitimately won honors the old-fashioned way; earned. She's not on the money end. What wrong with her the "face" of Everton?

Moshiri is really moving things along now. Exciting times.

Looking forward to the Brand/Silva announcements this week.

So, let's the rest of us acknowledge it.

Next pieces required to complete the jigsaw - DOF and coach then he has his organisation structure in place.

It is a lot easier to offer an opinion as a supporter on a Premier League manager or player as they have a high profile either through the media, newspaper and tv, or attending the game.

My point on a CEO is, they don't train players, they don't coach, they don't tell the manager who to play and they don't tell him who to buy.

they work on the business side of the club, and are part of the decision making on the general running of the club and rely on information that is provided to them. The only time the average supporter is aware of them is if in their opinion they have made a bad decision.

My point was it is difficult to criticize someone without knowing what the job has become with the changes the new owner is making as she has been successful in the previous business position she was in.

A number of supporters are saying that a football club is different than other businesses, and you really should have been more involved in the playing side of it to become a CEO. In my own experiences for the past 25years I have been involved in the underground maintenance dept of mining companies and met a few CEO,s of major mining companies and none of them had ever been underground.

This leaves only the matter of improving the core business, on-field performance, and it is that which will determine success or failure.

Does anyone else think Robert Elstone looks like Roger Daltrey?

I think it's wonderful that Everton are progressive enough to appoint a woman to CEO. DB-B has done a wonderful job with EITC. Hell, it's been the only thing we could be proud of for the last few years! Give this woman a chance. She's been very successful in her previous role, she's earned the right in my opinion to tackle a larger one.

Someone does need to tell her to “tone it down” with the neck bow however! Thing engulfs her. Seriously, who in the world would want a bow that large tied around their neck!

She's a lovely lady, bow aside. For once lets get behind every single person top to bottom in this Club and see what they can do. They all have defined roles and are successful individuals.

And as James points out above, Kenwright has officially been demoted to a cheerleader and palm-presser.

Roll on Moshri, you're doing well taking the reigns and making the Club yours.

Whilst there maybe some doubt about the quality of the boardroom changes, none market leaders nor particularly well known, they have been given parts of the business to run and that augers well.

We now have accountability and that should include the DoF & manager to follow.

With the cogs well defined, failure can be pinpointed and replaced without one person doing everything, inherently a weak structure. That's strikes a balance for me, a framework with disposable players should they not deliver.

Wonder if the fella has packed his suitcase yet!?

Her track record at the club so far has been outstanding. EITC is something that we can be rightly proud of. Of course we'd be a lot more proud of it if things were going better on the pitch but we can't blame DBB for that at least not yet.

She appears to have a very clear understanding of vision and how to execute on it. Running a football club is not a complex business, but it is a people business, and her track record suggests she can manage that side extraordinarily well. The next key appointment is the Director of Football, and then the manager. Hopefully in that order as the DoF must sit above the manager in the hierarchy and set the long term footballing strategy for the club - including proper use of funds.

I thought that as well-he does look like Roger Daltrey.

Hope it's not an omen- "...meet the new boss,same as the old boss .".

Seemingly he is disgusted and disappointed that he, and his team, weren't informed about the changes at board room level.

He went on to say that he's meeting with Moshiri today but he didn't expect it to be a long meeting.

All this bluster? Is it a prelude to him trying to put a spin on "why I had to leave Everton?"

“They must have been in the pipeline for a considerable time but no-one thought to tell me and my staff. I'm pretty disgusted.

“I came into the football club with the team struggling and we have finished 8th in the table. I'm more than happy with what myself, my staff and the players have achieved from when I came in."

Then he goes on to say that he expects the meeting with Mosh to be short.

I think Sam might have been pissed as well as pissed off to be honest. Anyway, that kind of implies that Walsh is out too, doesn't it?

Too much change overnight can cause ripples that turn into tears very quickly and keeping him as Chairman (in a somewhat diluted role) will avoid a media circus with headlines like "the lifelong Evertonian is ousted" Blah Blah Blah.

Looks like a solid management structure to me bringing individual accountability to the fore in each role.

No new and exciting talent is being introduced to the administrative and governance teams and for the present, at least, Uncle Bill keeps his chair in the sunshine.

Just as in the days of Phil Green, the Board is manipulated by someone whose circumstances don't allow him to be on that Board so a bumbling outsider continues to call the shots.

So far, apart from enriching Kenwright and Woods, that someone has been a disaster and it ain't looking any brighter ! Let's just hope he's better at building new stadia !

What kind of football club is it that "gifts" Duncan Ferguson to each new manager? Does anyone know what Ferguson does, apart from put the cones out?

Nothing has changed and getting rid of Allardyce changes absolutely nothing either. Allrdyce is only a symptom of the problem.

—

Everton Football Club can confirm that Sam Allardyce has left his role as manager.

Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “On behalf of the Chairman, Board of Directors and Mr Moshiri, I'd like to thank Sam for the job he has done at Everton over the last seven months. Sam was brought in at a challenging time last season to provide us with some stability and we are grateful to him for doing that.

“However, we have made the decision that, as part of our longer-term plan, we will be appointing a new manager this summer and will be commencing this process immediately. Again, we'd like to place on record our sincere thanks to Sam for his work with us over the last few months and wish him well for the future.”

Coincidence?

Now these changes have started, half of you are slagging off DBB before she has been give a chance.

Her track record since joining us is nothing short of outstanding, give her a chance FFS.

It appears to me that Elstone's role has been split up between Ryazantsev and DBB. I think Ryazantsev has been given a very senior position by Moshiri which will carry plenty of clout requiring not much charisma but well honed negotiation and number crunching skills. This move is probably part of Moshiri's original long term plan.

DBB will look after the PR and people management element of Elstone's former role and I am pretty sure she will do a better job of improving Everton's public image. While she was a Kenwright appointment she may very well have impressed Moshiri in his dealings with her.

This is now her second promotion under his reign. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion if she is as good as she seems to be at getting people motivated and engaged in their work. Bottom line her long term future lies with Moshiri.

Like Sam, Walsh has not been made privy to these moves so it looks like they are both definitely gone. That means a new DOF and Coach.

Keith Harris (another Moshiri appointment) as the deputy Chairman is now the new chairman in waiting.

Looks like almost complete change to me with the only member of the "old guard" being DBB. Moshiri must reckon she has earned it.

Thanks Sam - give it away now. You will have plenty of dosh. Go to the World Cup with your missus and get paid for it then get yourself a spot somewhere on the Mediterranean where you can spend the winters (and some of your dosh).

1) How did you not see this coming? Everyone knew Elstone was gone and DBB was strong front-runner for months.
2) Why would it be any of the 1st Team Coaches business what happens at board level? Director of Football maybe, but not the coach. It doesn't matter who signs your cheques, just coach the team!

Like everyone else, I think it was a parting shot. He knew he was going and wanted to try and make the club look bad on his way out. The club that has paid him £10m for 6 months work.

Welcome Prof HBB in your new role. Having seen your passion and innovation breaking new ground with EITC, hoping you continue to build the great reputation of EFC as a social player and build a much bigger profile for our great club.

I like the separation of roles and the additional talent brought in to take us forward.

Moshiri has put in place a team to handle commercial, football and finance. No longer will the CEO be an Elstone cut out responsible for everything but accountable for nothing. She will be the marketing face of EFC, the person who will structure the people in the club, and manage them as part of a senior team.

Its a key difference and a significant change from Elstone's role. So for those of you who wish to condemn, moan or complain, find fault or be critical or call her a Kenwright lackey, give it a rest, be happy with the day we have, its a million times better than any day we have had in the past couple of years. Enjoy the day and good luck to every new face... I hope now the reconciliation of fans and club can happen and we can share a vision for the future.

Robert Elstrone was CEO. He was in charge of finance, marketing & commerce, transfers, and most importantly the stadium. The finance, marketing and commerce is now the responsibility of Sasha (Farad's man), transfers are for Marcel Brands, and the Stadium for Keith Harris.

So what's left for Denise Barrett-Baxendale to actually take responsibility for? Not much really. PR and communications? Judging by the charity, this is something she excels at. She's also very pleasant, very optimistic and often described as a "dynamo" so she must be very energetic. It also begs the question as to what is left for our esteemed chairman? No doubt he'll still turn up to shake the new signings hands and get a big mention for telling our new star Albanian left back all about Dixie Dean and Dave Hickson.

If the CEO is no longer responsible for some of the more technical aspects of the club, ie finance, marketing, the stadium, or transfers, then her lack of business experience matters less.

I am quite optimistic that this appointment could work well. I also expect her to be a very visible force in football, promoting EFC, and many media outlets will be desperate to talk to one of the "most powerful women in the Premier League".

It's certainly a new dawn.

Yes, yes, and yes. Well said.

I can't ever recall a single post of yours being off the mark.

It's a wonderful day to be Blue, and the moaning is utterly confounding.

She has already shown her metal (she made the announcement) and I am of the opinion she will do very well in this role. She has gone into a boardroom full of men and obviously impressed Moshiri's right hand man and her new business partner Ryazantsev.

That looks like a potent combination to me. The museum is getting cleared out.

"In October 2016 Denise received an Honorary Visiting Professorship in Leadership in Sport Serving Humanity from Liverpool Hope University.

Denise's other qualifications and awards include BA(Hons), MBA, PhD"

What you (and others) are confusing perhaps are comments and opinions expressing concern at her rumoured appointment as the CEO before all the new executive roles were revealed.

Like it or not, they were legitimate, well-founded concerns. DBB does not have either the experience or key skills a traditional CEO at a PL club is expected to possess. Karen Brady she ain't!

Since the announcement I have read posts fabricating that opposition to her appointment smacks of misogyny and sexist bias, or that unless a person has experience of working in a CEO role they have no right to comment.

Such views, IMO, are totally fabricated and/or contrive to suppress, rather than allow, alternative opinions to the views held by the poster.

Now some months ago, I recall a particularly offensive and very personal attack on DBB here on TW. Many leapt to her defence and castigated the poster. I was among them. I have seen nothing – nothing at all! – of that ilk in regard to news of her new role.

Clearly, Moshiri has redefined the all-embracing CEO role at Everton. He has parcelled things out to other members of the executive.

Keith Harris is not only deputy chairman in place of Jon Woods, his particular remit is to ‘drive forward the Club's new stadium project.' A good delegation of duty by Moshiri given that Harris was the Director of Wembley National Stadium Limited between 2001 and 2007.

Alexander (Sasha) Ryazantsev, takes responsibility for the Club's Financial and Commercial performance. Again, given his background and close association with Moshiri, a sound delegation of duty.

As for DBB's role, has it as yet been clearly defined publicly? I don't think so.

In the official club statement announcing these changes
(Link)

it references what she DID as deputy CEO – “responsibility for Human Resources, Marketing and Media, Legal, Risk and Governance, Operations and Ticketing, has also played an increasing role in the running of the Club's Football Operations, including involvement with the first-team, Under-23s, the Club's hugely successful Academy set-up and is the Club's lead on the Goodison Park legacy project.”

On what she WILL do as the CEO, there is no clarity, other than her own words: “I know what the priorities are and I'm determined that we make progress in these areas. It's also important to me that we make our progress in the right way - in the ‘Everton way' - and this includes listening, consulting and collaborating on all important Club matters.”

You yourself Christine speculate (because we have no confirming information in the public domain) “she will be the marketing face of EFC, the person who will structure the people in the club, and manage them as part of a senior team.”

That may well be the case. But, given the executive restructuring of the club, I think we can stop pretending she is a traditional CEO with broad and far-reaching executive powers. I for one am relieved that is the case, because it is my belief she simply would not be up for that role.

And I speak as someone who respects her for her efforts with EiTC, an arm of Everton I remain exceedingly proud of, unlike some on TW.

What I was saying is that we should all understand she is not the same CEO as Elstone, and that a team is in place to share the load in specific areas – that's a good thing by the way... so I am not sure why the confusion. She will make a good CEO in a proactive sense, I suspect; you are right that her brief and objectives have not been made public, but in putting a team in place you can reasonably surmise that her brief will be what's left... and has the benefit of a successful part of the club under her belt already.

With respect to others' comments, just because she has not run an operational Premier League club or similar should not disqualify her from the role. If that was the case, there would never be diversity, never be fresh ideas, never be innovation.

I take her appointment with a sincere belief it will be a successful venture and hope that others will see it in that light too.

Denise Barrett-Baxendale does not appear to the casual observer to have the skillset or experience of a traditional CEO of any large company. This initially concerned me somewhat.

As you rightly point out, however, the delegation of duties clearly redefines the skills needed to be Everton's CEO at this moment in time. On that basis, and given her hugely impressive academic achievements and record to date, I fully support her promotion.

I find the veiled accusations that anybody's negative reaction to her appointment is based upon her gender to be distasteful and extremely disappointing indeed.