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Liverpool CEO Ian Ayre quits early and owners promote Billy Hogan to managing director

Liverpool’s chief executive Ian Ayre is to leave his role at the end of February, four months earlier than originally planned.

The Merseyside club have agreed to let Ayre depart ahead of schedule, prior to him taking the job of managing director at 1860 Munich.

Billy Hogan, Liverpool’s chief commercial officer, has been promoted to managing director.

Liverpool will announce a new chief executive in the next few months, although Ayre’s successor will have a refined role following the recent elevation of Michael Edwards to the position of Sporting Director.

The football operations at Liverpool are now focused entirely at Melwood, with manager Jürgen Klopp, Edwards and the rest of the recruitment and scouting team delegated responsibility. There is now a clearer divide between football and other executive roles at Anfield.

In a joint statement, Fenway Sports Group principal owner John W Henry, chairman Tom Werner, FSG president Mike Gordon explained the restructure.

“Over the past year, we made a number of changes to our management structure by promoting several of our top employees to more senior positions in recognition of their exceptional service to LFC.

“Though some of these changes are already public, today we are formally announcing the promotion of Billy Hogan to Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, and Andy Hughes to Chief Operating Officer. 

“These changes have already ushered in improvements to the club’s operations and they will also serve to ensure management stability during the transition to new executive leadership.   

“The last step remaining is to conclude the process of identifying and hiring a successor to Ian.  We are very pleased with the search progress and fully expect to have our new CEO in position by our original deadline of the summer 2017.  We are quite confident that LFC will have the right structure and the best people operating within that structure to fill the lofty ambitions of LFC and its supporters.” 

For Ayre, his departure ends a 10-year association with Liverpool.

“Although this transition has been nearly a year in the making, today is still a difficult day - we are officially saying goodbye to Ian,” the FSG statement added.

“It goes without saying that his leadership of LFC has been instrumental to the club’s progress under our ownership.  On both a professional and personal level, he will be missed.”

Liddlepool

 Ayre explained it made sense for him to leave now having diluted his involvement in day-to-day operations over recent months.

 He said: “I made clear some time back that I felt that 2017 was the right time to step aside.  As the club’s new structure starts to unfold, this is a natural point for me to say goodbye.”