Who is Newcastle’s new CEO, and what did we learn from his first interview since joining the club?
On September 4, Newcastle United announced the appointment of David Hopkinson as the club's new chief executive officer (CEO).
The Canadian replaced the departing Darren Eales and brings a mass of experience to the North East, having operated at the top level of global sports for over three decades.
The 54-year-old spent two decades at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, working with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
He began his 24-year association with his hometown franchises by selling Raptors tickets over the phone, before eventually working as chief commercial officer for the franchises, where he oversaw their commercial activities.
Hopkinson worked as Real Madrid's Global head of partnerships between 2018 and 2020, before serving as president and chief operating officer of Madison Square Garden Corp (MSG), which owns the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers, between September 2022 and April 2024.
The USA-based teams are two of the most valuable franchises in the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League.
Alongside Hopkinson's packed CV comes high praise from former colleagues. Recently, former executive vice-president at MSG, Sandra Kapell, told The Athletic about how Hopkinson is 'dripping with ambition' in a way that will 'propel Newcastle forward.'
"He’s the man for commercial deals. I can’t imagine a better person in sports for that role," added Kapell.
In his first interview in the role, Hopkinson came across well - displaying confidence, charisma, and a down-to-earth nature.
The interview, which has currently only been released on the Official Newcastle United App, showed clips of Hopkinson meeting club officials and taking a tour around St James' Park.
"I've been thinking about coming to Newcastle for a very, very long time. It's extremely gratifying because I've spent my whole career trying to take on a role like this," said Hopkinson.
In the interview, the new CEO referenced the 'magic' of St James' Park, but also hinted at a potential stadium change: "This is a magical place, we’re at St. James’ Park, a pitch where legends have played. We’ve got the stands here that have been filled with fans who are mad about this team, so there’s such an incredible starting place.
"St James' Park is an iconic, special place. Are our ambitions best served here, or will our ambitions be served even better in a new stadium? We'll figure that out. These are nice choices to think about.
"It's great to be here today, but it's going to be even greater when it's full of screaming, passionate fans. The energy of a full stadium is what feeds my soul."
Hopkinson spoke at length about the club's ambitions, saying that they are now potentially the highest in the club's history.
"We’re starting from such a high place – but we’ve also got this moment of potential transformation as we get ready to play on the biggest stages imaginable.
"Being part of this moment is where I think there’s opportunity for even more magic. I think there is an ambition that we're unlocking here at Newcastle to take an even bigger role on a global stage in a global game - that's energising, that's exciting."
"I think we're ready to start filling that trophy case, and it's my job to make sure we fill it as quickly as possible."
"This is about building a long relationship. I'm going to do my best to represent this club and ultimately this community on every stage I possibly can."
What's clear is that Hopkinson is an exciting appointment by Newcastle. The Canadian has laid out a real ambition to take NUFC to the next level, whilst also engulfing himself in the culture and history of both the club and the city.
His CV and former experiences speak for themselves - let's hope that the 'long relationship' he references comes to fruition and isn't a fleeting one, as has been seen with some of the other Newcastle board appointments of recent years.