Arsenal’s long-serving general counsel Svenja Geissmar has left the club after 17 years.
The Lawyer reports that Geissmar has departed, while her LinkedIn profile lists her time at Arsenal as running from September 2009 until August 2026. The club have yet to announce her exit or confirm how her responsibilities will be reassigned.
Geissmar was Arsenal’s first in-house lawyer and became a long-standing member of the Executive Team. She headed the Legal, Safeguarding and Data Protection department, with a remit that covered pretty much everything happening beyond the touchline, and quite a lot on it.
Her team handled player contracts, transfers and loans, agent agreements, image rights, academy matters and the club’s dealings with football’s governing bodies. The department also provided legal support for stadium operations, broadcasting, sponsorship agreements, retail, property, employment, data protection and dispute resolution.
If a significant deal was being signed, a player was being bought, or a concert was being staged at the Emirates, there was a decent chance it crossed her desk.
Reflecting on her initial appointment, she told Arsenal.com: “I was the first in-house lawyer at the club and my initial task was to look at all the legal work that was needed by the club and to start organising this in a strategic and cost-effective way. I’ve never looked back, with every day presenting us with highly varied and interesting challenges!”
She saw plenty during her time at Arsenal, including a change in ownership, Arsene Wenger’s exit, Unai Emery’s sacking, and a revolving door of characters around the board and Executive Team.
Geissmar also helped establish The Arsenal Foundation in 2012 and went on to serve as its chair. The charity supports young people in north London and overseas through partnerships with organisations including Save the Children, Islington Giving, the Willow Foundation and Freedom from Torture.
Her influence extended into the wider women’s game too. Geissmar sat on the boards of the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship and was centrally involved in the 2024 transfer of both competitions from the FA to Women’s Professional Leagues Limited.
Her exit follows another recent change to Arsenal’s senior leadership team. Chief Commercial Officer Juliet Slot left during the summer after almost five years at the club, with Omar Shaikh subsequently promoted to the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer.
There is no suggestion the departures are connected, but Arsenal have lost two highly experienced executives in relatively quick succession, not long after the exits of vice-chair Tim Lewis and technical director James Ellis.
Given the breadth of Geissmar’s responsibilities, who replaces her, or how the role is divided internally, will be worth keeping an eye on.