Leeds United will appoint Peter McCormick as a new non-executive director as part of their response to chief executive Angus Kinnear’s expected departure.
News of Everton’s interest in Kinnear first broke last month and, after weeks of talks, the 47-year-old appears set to join the Premier League club.
While Kinnear would not depart Leeds until the end of the season, 49ers Enterprises — the club’s owners — has moved to hire McCormick immediately. McCormick, a vastly experienced lawyer, has held numerous senior positions across The Football Association and Premier League.
In November 2020, McCormick became interim chairman of the FA, replacing Greg Clarke, until January 2022. Then, in that same month, he was unanimously appointed by the 20 clubs as interim chairman of the Premier League, until January 2023. He still holds seats on three FA committees. He is chairman of the Premier League Stadium Fund and a trustee of the Football Foundation.
McCormick is not expected to be a temporary hire at Elland Road and he will oversee the transition between Kinnear and a long-term replacement. Generally, non-executive directors advise and oversee a company’s executive team without managing day-to-day operations. McCormick would, for example, represent chairman Paraag Marathe at meetings when the American is unable to attend.
United’s long-term plans for its chief executive position remain up in the air. Kinnear will continue to steer the ship through the closing months of the season, buying the ownership time. Meanwhile, McCormick will start supporting the executive team immediately.
GO DEEPER
Archie Gray’s younger brother Harry, the ‘really special’ kid training with Leeds’ first team at 16
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