Thursday 14 January 2016 13:08, UK
Aston Villa have confirmed the appointment of Steven Hollis as the club’s new chairman.
In a statement released on Thursday, owner Randy Lerner reiterated his desire to sell Villa and confirmed Hollis and chief executive Tom Fox will assume operational control of the club on a day-to-day basis.
Villa currently sit bottom of the Premier League table, eight points from safety.
"That Aston Villa can and should operate in a far more stable and on a far more successful level, both in terms of football as well as commercially, is plainly clear. It is similarly clear that this great club has not been on stable footing for at least five years" Lerner said in a statement to the club's official website.
"In May of 2015 I again reiterated my intention to sell the club or, in the alternative, to shift to a board governance structure that begins with the appointment of a new chairman; a chairman with a proven track record for getting into the thick of troubled organisations, working with embattled executives and getting results.
"Steve has taken the last six weeks to become familiar with the deeply serious predicament in which the club has found itself and has my total support to address the issues we face.
"We pursued Steve's candidacy in order to continue and strengthen the efforts that commenced in the summer of 2014 with the hiring of Tom Fox. Tom and Steve have spent time throughout December and early January and will therefore be in a position to work closely and immediately across all areas of the club.
"Regarding my future role with Villa, I expect to remain engaged with both Steve and Tom although at a somewhat further distance that I believe suits the reality that I live full time in the [United] States, and that is appropriate given Steve's need to have the room to make decisions on behalf of the board.
"Villa's success is dependent in aggregate on the skills, determination and commitment of the manager, chief executive and chairman. I believe that Steve can contribute meaningfully alongside Tom and Remi [Garde] and identify opportunities that can take the club forward and are related to his professional background."
Hollis, the former Midlands chairman of accountancy firm KMPG, is also the current vice-chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.
He added: "When Randy approached me last November, chairing one of the UK's best known football clubs was not, quite frankly, on my list of possible opportunities.
"As I have got to know Randy and spent more time with Tom Fox and Remi it has become increasingly clear that a strong board that drives the necessary discipline and leadership will be at the core of the changes that are needed to overcome the under-performance Aston Villa has experienced over the last five years.
"As we have witnessed in the Premier League this year with other clubs - money no longer buys success. Randy has consistently provided financial backing no less so than last year. Our future success however lies in building a winning culture that is underpinned by a commitment to continuous improvement both on and off the pitch.
"The business of football is no different to any other business in this respect. We have the talent and great assets at Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath. The club needs a shake up and with Randy's continued support the board will look forward to working with Tom and Remi to help drive the changes that our fans rightfully demand and that our city can be proud of."
