Michael Angelakis joined Aston Villa's board back in April
Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa
Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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Michael Angelakis is a name Aston Villa fans have been seeing more often in recent months.
Chairman and CEO of Atairos, Angelakis is one of seven directors listed on the club’s Companies House account. His company joined V Sports as a minority partner, marking one of the most significant deals Villa’s leadership has made in recent years.
Atairos, a strategic investment company, has been a minority partner in Villa's holding company, V Sports, since April 2023. V Sports continues to own 100% of Villa as a club and retains full control over all decisions. Atairos’ capital investment is primarily directed toward growth and infrastructure projects, with the aim of generating sustainable value for Villa and the broader V Sports network.
Atairos reportedly manages around $7.3 billion in assets, including both public and private investments. A couple of years ago, Villa stated that the partnership positions them “firmly for an exciting next phase of growth.”
The addition of four new directors to the Villa board was confirmed shortly after the key agreement. Strong leaders surround themselves with capable people, and Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens did just that with the appointments of Angelakis; Atairos managing director Chester Hall; Canadian Bashir Lebada; and American Sarah Watterson.
Prior to founding Atairos, Angelakis served as vice chairman and chief financial officer of Comcast Corporation, overseeing many strategic, financial, administrative, and operational areas. During that time, Institutional Investor magazine recognized him as one of “America’s Best Chief Financial Officers” six out of eight years.
After Atairos' partnership with V Sports was confirmed, Angelakis stated: “We have deep respect for Aston Villa, its rich history and loyal fan base, world-class management team and employees, and the V Sports ownership group. We are confident this partnership will provide further long-term support for the growth of the Premier League and Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s teams. We look forward to working with Nassef, Wes, and the Aston Villa team to strengthen the Club’s ability to compete and achieve even greater success.”
In addition to leading Atairos, Angelakis serves as a senior advisor to the executive management committee of Comcast. His past roles include managing director of the management and investment committees at Providence Equity Partners, CEO of State Cable TV Corporation, and CEO of Aurora Telecommunications.
Angelakis also sits on the boards of several public companies - Bowlero Corporation, Clarivate PLC, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and TriNet Group - as well as private companies including Arcis Golf Corporation and The Orogen Group. His relationship with Sawiris dates back several years; he represented Comcast at the Sun Valley mogul retreat in July 2012, which Sawiris and Edens also attended.
Angelakis concluded: “We are excited to bring our expertise in supporting businesses in the leisure, sports, and live entertainment industries to elevate the club to even greater heights.”
When Monchi decided to leave Villa after the summer transfer window closed, he mentioned Angelakis in his statement to thank him for his support.
“I would like to thank everyone connected with Aston Villa for the support and warmth they have shown me since I joined the club, especially Unai and Damian who I have worked especially closely with over these last two years," he said.
"I must also thank our owners, Nassef Sawiris, Wes Edens and Michael Angelakis for their confidence and their support. I would also like to say a special thank you to all the staff at Aston Villa as well as the players. Lastly, a big thank you to the supporters. We have enjoyed so many special moments together and I look forward to continuing to support V Sports in an advisory role.”
Then, Emery also name-dropped Angelakis when he spoke about the support he has received from the top since joining the club.
“Three years ago, I was landing in Birmingham," he said. "Time flies when you love what you do and where you are. It has been three positive years enjoying and competing, but we are still building a team. It is a never-ending process to get better.
“In October 2022, Nassef Sawiris offered me a PROJECT in every sense of the word, letting me bring in top technical staff like Roberto and Damian. It’s a situation that is hard to find in football.
“I’m grateful to him, Wes Edens and Michael Angelakis for giving us the responsibility to not just run a football team but also run a football project.
Chester Hall, Atairos managing director, also joined the Villa board. Hall has been with Atairos since 2016, working across all major investment functions, including origination, transaction execution, and partner company engagement. Before Atairos, he worked at M/C Partners managing growth equity investments across communications, media, and technology services industries. He also held positions at Greenhill & Co., Global Thematic Partners, and Deutsche Bank.
Hall earned his MBA in Finance and Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University.
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