Dr Keith Harris has been appointed to the Everton Board of Directors this October.
Dr Harris, who acted as an advisor in the deal which saw investment into the Club from Farhad Moshiri earlier this year, will join Chairman Bill Kenwright CBE and Deputy Chairman Jon Woods on the six-strong Board which includes Robert Elstone, Sasha Ryazantsev and Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale MBE, who were also appointed to the Board earlier this year.
Dr Harris brings with him an extensive background in football, having held roles as Chairman of the Football League between 2000 and 2002 and Director of Wembley National Stadium, owner of Wembley Stadium, between 2001 and 2007. Through his corporate finance consultancy business, he has advised on the sale and purchase of dozens of clubs, including Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Swansea City, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Fulham, Manchester City and, most recently, the investment into Everton. He also advised Manchester United, Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur for many years.
Outside football, Dr Harris has held senior executive and Board-level roles with a number of Blue Chip organisations in both the UK and USA, including Morgan Grenfell (Deutsche Bank), Drexel Burnham Lambert, Apax Partners, HSBC Investment Bank – as Chief Executive – and Seymour Pierce where he was Chairman and Principal Owner.
Dr Harris said: “I am truly delighted to be joining the Club at such an exciting time. I’ve known the Chairman and Mr Moshiri for a long time, so I have a good understanding of their ambition. I have visited Goodison Park numerous times over the years and really enjoy the authenticity of the Club and passion of the fans. The atmosphere I experienced at Goodison for the FA Cup tie against Chelsea last season reminded me just how special Everton is and I am looking forward to sharing many more experiences like that in the future.”
Chairman Bill Kenwright added: “We’ve strengthened our Board significantly over the last six months and I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to add even more experience by bringing Keith in. He has a unique set of credentials and experience, combining roles at the highest level of international business with some of the most senior positions within football in this country, and will be a great asset.”