Rangers chairman details CEO qualities that show they have already spoken to the right candidate.
Rangers are doing better on the field, but there is still much work to be done off it. As his first assignment as temporary chairman, John Gilligan is keeping the supporters informed.
Taking over for John Bennett, who stepped down due to health issues, Gilligan has a number of positions to fill, the chief executive officer and permanent chairman being at the top of his priority list.
The chairman brought up a number of topics in a thorough press conference, one of which was the type of CEO that Rangers are seeking.
Rangers chairman outlines critical attributes of a CEO.
Since James Bisgrove gave his notice before the end of the previous season, one would have assumed that his replacement would already be in place. However, due to an issue with Ibrox’s upgrade, the manager had to work extremely hard in the transfer market to rebuild a squad that was battered and bruised, so the search was put on hold.
Gilligan covered a lot of ground, but his explanation of his ideal CEO is particularly compelling:
According to Gilligan, “they need to have strong business acumen, knowledge, and experience.”
“They must have managed companies under pressure and produced results.
“A football team faces enormous stress and pressure, so it can’t be a comfortable company.
They must have strong interpersonal skills and be an effective communicator.
It goes without saying that they must have an incredible work ethic because the task at hand is incredibly challenging.
“Lastly, it must be a decent person; I enjoy dealing with decent people.”
It appears to be quite simple.
Adrian Bevington knows exactly what Rangers CEO job needs
Gilligan mentioned Jim Gillespie as the sole name with a clear connection, but when former FA chief Adrian Bevington entered the race, some questions were raised.
Bevington disclosed that he had discussed matters with the board and went on to outline the qualifications required of a CEO at the Rangers:
What I would say is that the Rangers’ next chief executive needs to be someone who can demonstrate true leadership, be an effective communicator, have a thorough understanding of the game and the industry, and be knowledgeable about the transfer market.
While having a strong commercial presence is necessary to boost earnings, I believe that having knowledge of the football industry, a good sense of common sense, and the capacity to build relationships is even more important.
“It is still a very demanding, challenging job for whatever that person may be, but if you have all of that, you have a chance.
Rangers Football Club should be able to entice someone with that stature and the ability to lead from the front, as well as a real good understanding of how the industry works and a great network of contacts and relationships with people right throughout the game in Scotland as well as at UEFA, the European Club Association. Despite going through a difficult period right now, I believe that a club like Rangers with the stature that they have in the game.
“Some of those relationships already exist among certain individuals in Celtic, and Rangers should anticipate something similar.”
Bevington essentially covered even more ground than Gilligan.
Plus, he checks off most of the boxes.
It appears that Bevington, at least, is aware of what Gilligan is looking for, given that communication, commercial acumen, expertise, awareness of the demands, and strong leadership are all mentioned as necessary traits.
Rangers will have to come up with something extraordinary to find someone more qualified if the former Club England managing director is not named.
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