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{{Short description|British businessman}}
{{Infobox Person▼
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
|name = Christian Purslow
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date =
|birth_place = United Kingdom
| alma mater = University of Cambridge <br /> Harvard University
|death_date =
|death_place =
|other_names =
|known_for = Co-founder [[MidOcean Partners]]<br />Former managing director of [[Liverpool F.C.]]<br /> Former head of global commercial activities at [[Chelsea F.C.]]<br /> Former CEO of [[Aston Villa F.C.]]
|occupation =
|nationality = British
}}
'''Christian Purslow''' (born 14 December 1963) is a British businessman who was most recently the chief executive officer of the [[Premier League]] club [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa Football Club]]. He was the co-founder of [[private equity firm]] [[MidOcean Partners]] and was the former managing director of [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool Football Club]] and the former managing director and head of global commercial activities at [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea Football Club]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2014/10/chelsea-statement.html|title = Chelsea statement | Official Site | Chelsea Football Club}}</ref>
==Early life==
After attending [[Aylesbury Grammar School]], he went on to graduate with a degree in modern and medieval languages at [[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]].<ref>[http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/import/documents/Optima16.pdf Optima, Fitzwilliam College Newsletter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514184021/http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/import/documents/Optima16.pdf |date=14 May 2011 }} Spring 2010 p.19</ref> He later earned an [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] at [[Harvard Business School]] where he was a Baker Scholar.<ref name=MidOcean/><ref>{{cite journal |title=Why I Decided to Rethink Hiring Smart People |url=https://hbr.org/2012/10/why-i-decided-to-rethink-hiring-smart-people |journal=[[Harvard Business Review]] |date=17 October 2012 |accessdate=31 August 2018}}</ref>
==Career==
Purslow trained as an analyst with [[L.E.K. Consulting]], before joining the [[Burton (clothing)|Burton Group]] as executive assistant to the CEO. After becoming head of new business development for [[Reuters]], he joined [[Credit Suisse First Boston]] as head of UK mergers and acquisitions. He then joined [[Schroders]] [[Salomon Smith Barney]] as head of cable, media and entertainment investment, before becoming managing director of [[Deutsche Bank|DB Capital Partners]]. It was while in this position, that DB Capital Partners was spun-out, in which he became managing director of new private equity firm, [[MidOcean Partners]].<ref name=MidOcean>{{cite web|url=http://www.midoceanpartners.com/#/team/executive_board/|title=Biography on MidOcean Partner Website}}</ref>
===Liverpool F.C.===
==References==▼
Purslow was appointed managing director of Liverpool Football Club [[2009–10 Liverpool F.C. season|in June 2009]], with a priority to renegotiate the £350m loan the club had outstanding with RBS and to assume overall management of the club until a new permanent CEO could be appointed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/5600713/Liverpool-appoint-Christian-Purslow-as-their-new-managing-director.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624161413/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/5600713/Liverpool-appoint-Christian-Purslow-as-their-new-managing-director.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 June 2009|title=Liverpool appoint Christian Purslow as their new managing director |last=Kelso|first=Paul|date=22 June 2009|newspaper=Independent|accessdate=14 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/lfc-appoints-managing-director |title=LFC appoints Managing Director - Liverpool FC |accessdate=16 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120805003137/http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/lfc-appoints-managing-director |archivedate=5 August 2012 }}</ref> Three months into his tenure, a team headed by Purslow negotiated an £80 million 4-year shirt sponsorship deal with [[Standard Chartered Bank]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/liverpool-looks-to-standard-chartered-to-help-global-expansion/3004399.article|title=Liverpool looks to Standard Chartered to help global expansion|last=Parsons|first=Russel|date=14 September 2009 |work=Marketing Week|accessdate=14 September 2009}}</ref>
On 6 October 2010, Purslow voted in favour of the sale of the club from the unpopular then-owners [[Tom Hicks]] and [[George N. Gillett, Jr.|George Gillett]] to the [[New England Sports Ventures|NESV group]]. In response to this, Hicks tried to block the sale by removing Purslow and Ian Ayre from the board and installing his son, Mack, and his business associate Lori McCutcheon on the board.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Football |first1=Mirror |title=RBS obtain injunction to block sacking of Kop board |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-court-case-rbs-obtained-3348679 |website=Mirror}}</ref> On 13 October 2010, at a hearing in the High Court in London, Mr. Justice Floyd held that Hicks’ actions were unlawful and in breach of the agreement he had signed with RBS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8061129/Liverpool-takeover-High-Court-rule-in-favour-of-RBS-and-against-Tom-Hicks.html|title=Liverpool takeover: High Court rule in favour of RBS and against Tom Hicks |date=8 October 2010|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=8 October 2010}}</ref> Floyd's judgment allowed the sale to proceed and, on 15 October 2010, NESV finally completed its £300m takeover of Liverpool in a deal which drastically reduced the club's debt to RBS.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9097945.stm|title=New owner John W Henry determined to revive Liverpool |date=16 October 2010|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=20 October 2010}}</ref>
Having completed his brief by finding a buyer, Purslow stepped down on 20 October 2010 after NESV assumed control of the club.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9111239.stm|title=Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow quits job|date=20 October 2010|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=20 October 2010}}</ref> He remained as a non-executive director and special adviser until February 2011.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9406931.stm BBC Sport – Christian Purslow relinquishes Liverpool posts]</ref>
Following the sale, Hicks and Gillett pursued legal action, however, a settlement was reached in January 2013 with Hicks and Gillett withdrawing all allegations made against Purslow and fellow directors Broughton and Ayre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/statement-from-liverpool-fc-2|title=Statement from Liverpool FC|date=11 January 2013|work=LiverpoolFC.com|accessdate=11 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114110559/http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/statement-from-liverpool-fc-2|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Chelsea F.C. ===
On 27 October 2014, it was announced that Purslow had joined [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea Football Club]] as "Head of Global Commercial Activities" with immediate effect.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29784107|title=Ex-Liverpool chief joins Chelsea|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Purslow oversaw a number of deals (including Yokohama,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/26/chelsea-shirt-deal-yokohama-rubber|title=Chelsea seal £200m shirt sponsorship deal with Yokohama Rubber|date=26 February 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/02/yokohama-rubber-to-become-official-shirt-partner.html|title=Yokohama Rubber to become Official Shirt Partner|date=26 February 2015 |publisher=Chelsea FC}}</ref> Wipro<ref>{{cite web|title=New digital and IT partnership launched|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/09/new-digital-and-it-partnership-launched.html|publisher=Chelsea F.C.}}</ref> and Carabao<ref>{{cite web|title=Chelsea partners with Carabao|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/11/chelsea-partners-with-carabao.html|publisher=Chelsea F.C.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=PCL.|first1=Post Publishing|title=Carabao seek growth from Chelsea sponsorship|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/1097813/carabao-seek-growth-from-chelsea-sponsorship|website=Bangkok Post}}</ref>) and the club's £900m kit deal with Nike, a deal described by the BBC's Dan Roan as a "remarkable ... coup"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/danroan/status/786652013849370628|title=Dan Roan – Twitter|date=13 October 2016 |publisher=Twitter|accessdate=13 October 2016}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2019}}
It was announced on 17 February 2017 that Purslow would be leaving Chelsea at the end of the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Christian Purslow moves on|url=http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/02/christian-purslow-moves-on.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pasztor |first1=David |title=Chelsea FC managing director steps down |url=https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2017/2/17/14652536/chelsea-fc-managing-director-steps-down |website=SB Nation}}</ref>
===Aston Villa F.C.===
On 31 August 2018, Purslow was appointed as the CEO of [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa Football Club]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/31/aston-villa-appoint-former-liverpool-ceo-christian-purslow|title=Aston Villa appoint former Liverpool chief executive Christian Purslow|date= 31 August 2018 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> taking over the club in [[2018–19_Aston_Villa_F.C._season|season 2018-19]], the club's third consecutive season in the [[EFL Championship|Championship]]. The club were promoted via the play offs<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48423630|title=Playoff final: Aston Villa promoted to the Premier League
|date= 28 May 2019 |work=BBC}}</ref> under manager [[Dean Smith (footballer, born 1971)|Dean Smith]], who Purslow had appointed in October 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2018/10/15/purslow-on-smith|title=CEO Christian Purslow: why we appointed Dean Smith
|date= 15 October 2018 |work=AVFC}}</ref>
The club achieved mid-table finishes in the first three seasons back in the [[Premier League]] despite losing star player [[Jack Grealish]] to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] at the beginning of the [[2021–22 Premier League|2021-22 season]]. Purslow issued a direct video message to [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] fans regarding the sale<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2021/august/Christian-Purslow-on-Jack-Grealish-transfer/|title=Christian Purslow on Jack Grealish transfer|date= 5 August 2021 |work=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref>
Purslow appointed [[Steven Gerrard]] as manager in November 2021, having previously worked with Gerrard at [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/steven-gerrard-aston-villa-purslow-b1955681.html|title=Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa has been 12 years in the making for Christian Purslow|date= 11 November 2021 |work=The Independent}}</ref> and later brought in [[Unai Emery]] in October 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2022/october/24/manager/|title=Villa appoint Unai Emery as new Head Coach|date= 24 October 2022 |work=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref> following Gerrard's dismissal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12725885/aston-villa-sack-steven-gerrard-after-11-months-in-charge|title=Aston Villa sack Steven Gerrard after 11 months in charge|date= 21 October 2022 |work=Sky Sports}}</ref> Emery guided Villa to a 7th place finish in the [[2022–23 Premier League|Premier League season]] at the end of which, on 12 June 2023, it was announced that Purslow was stepping down from his position as CEO and director at the club.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-06-12 |title=Aston Villa announce departure of CEO Christian Purslow |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/june/12/aston-villa-announce-departure-of-ceo-christian-purslow/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fisher |first=Ben |last2=Steinberg |first2=Jacob |date=2023-06-12 |title=Aston Villa agree terms for Monchi to come as sporting director from Sevilla |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/12/aston-villa-target-monchi-sporting-director-christian-purslow-leaves |access-date=2023-12-10 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[The Times]] reported that Purslow's decision to step down allowed Emery to increase his control at the club with his long-term ally [[Monchi]] appointed as Head of Football Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sport/football/article/christian-purslow-leaves-aston-villa-unai-emery-increases-control-3lfwbsl76|title=Christian Purslow leaves Aston Villa as Unai Emery increases control|date= 12 June 2023 |work=The Times Club}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/june/16/monchi-appointed-president-of-football-operations//|title=Monchi appointed President of Football Operations|date= 16 June 2023 |work=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref> The article, by [[The Times]] journalist Martyn Ziegler, quoted [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] director [[Karren Brady]] as saying that Purslow would be a “huge loss” to the Premier League.
In 2022 Purslow was awarded an honorary doctorate by [[Aston University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/aston-villa-ceo-receives-honorary-degree-aston-university|title=Aston Villa CEO receives honorary degree from Aston University
|date= 19 July 2022 |work=Aston University}}</ref>
▲==References==
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:
[[Category:Sports executives and administrators]]▼
[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]▼
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Aylesbury Grammar School]]
[[Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]]
▲[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]
[[Category:British bankers]]
[[Category:Private equity and venture capital investors]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. chairmen and investors]]
[[Category:Aston Villa F.C. directors and chairmen]]
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