Watmore Named As New FA Chief Executive
The Football Association has confirmed former civil servant and government secretary Ian Watmore as its new chief executive, succeeding Brian Barwick who left his post at the end of last year.
Watmore will not join The FA until June when he leaves his post as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
A lifelong Arsenal fan, the 50-year old Watmore has 24 years’ experience in the IT industry prior to his recent background in government and is a board member of the English Institute of Sport.
A three-man shortlist of candidates were interviewed for the post with Watmore reportedly beating out a challenge from former Arsenal director Keith Edelman and an unnamed candidate from the business community.
Succeeding Barwick who resigned last August, Watmore will report directly into Lord Triesman, The FA’s first independent chairman who took up the reins in January 2008.
The recruitment process for The FA’s chief executive role has handled by executive head-hunting firm Nolan Partners.
The FA has also announced that Lord Sebastian Coe has been appointed as a non-executive board member of England’s 2018 World Cup bid team.
Lord Coe will continue to chair the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games but he has agreed a leave of absence from his position as chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee.
