Everton’s new US-based owner, The Friedkin Group (TFG), is ringing the changes with a raft of appointments and departures at the top level.
Angus Kinner, chief executive of Leeds United FC, will join Everton on June 1, 2025, the Merseyside club has confirmed.
Kinnear has been at Leeds since 2017. Before that he held leadership roles at Arsenal and West Ham United.
He fills the vacant role following the departure of former CEO, Denise Barratt-Baxendale in June, 2023, amid fan protests.
Colin Chong has been interim CEO in the meantime.
The Friedkin Group said Chong will remain at the club overseeing the Blues’ new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium which will become fully operational for the 2025-26 season.
The club said his role will also involve the regeneration of the surrounding area, and the future of the current Goodison Park stadium, which will be demolished and replaced with community facilities.
Colin Chong said: “It has been an honour to serve as Everton’s CEO and to shepherd the club through challenging times and into a bright new future under The Friedkin Group.
“I look forward to taking on this new role focusing on our new home and, just as importantly, the regeneration of the area around it.”
The club has also announced several key personnel changes, including the departure of director of football, Kevin Thelwell, who will continue to lead the sporting department until the new CEO is in place and then leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.
He joined Everton in 2022 and has worked with successive managers.
The club said it will transition from a single director of football to a wider sporting leadership team under manager David Moyes. It said planning for the summer transfer window is already under way, led by the sporting department and Moyes, and senior appointments will be announced in due course.
Kevin Thelwell said: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved in the most challenging of circumstances over the past three years and believe I’ll leave the club in a much stronger position than when I joined in 2022.”
Chief commercial and communications officer, Richard Kenyon, is also leaving the club.
Richard has served Everton for more than 11 years in a variety of senior leadership positions, including as CEO of Everton in the Community from 2018-2021.
His responsibilities will be divided between existing members of the communications and commercial teams, and new senior appointments who will be announced in due course as part of a restructuring of the executive leadership team.
Richard said: “I am proud of my 11 years at Everton and that I am able to leave the club at a time of stability and genuine optimism.
“Despite facing unprecedented challenges over recent years, we have achieved some great things – notably delivering our new stadium and the commercial step-change that will support the growth of the club for many years to come.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside TFG, and every Evertonian should be excited by their ambition – I believe they are the perfect custodians for our great club. Personally, I’m looking forward to a new professional opportunity and to taking my place as a fan at our magnificent waterfront stadium later this year.”
Everton executive chairman, Marc Watts, said: “Angus is one of England’s leading football executives and brings a wealth of relevant experience. His appointment means Everton will go into the summer with a first class leader.
“A warm thank you to Colin for his leadership in steering the club through some of the most challenging times in its history. I’m delighted and comforted that he will remain with us in a vitally important role as we use the new Everton Stadium as a launchpad for regeneration of the local area.”
He added: “Kevin has been integral in ensuring Premier League survival in this difficult period. By resolving PSR issues through significant player trading we believe we have an extraordinary squad that can be the foundation for future success.
“This future success will also be supported by our talented sporting department assembled by Kevin. We are pleased Kevin will remain with us in this interim period.
“I also want to thank Richard for his many years of service to Everton and for his personal support to us at The Friedkin Group in our first months at the club.
“He leaves having played a key role in the delivery of our new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, from the consultation process, through to the premium and season ticket sales as we prepare to move into our new home.
“As he embarks on his next professional adventure, he does so knowing he will always be welcome here.”
Everton is gradually emerging from a period of deep uncertainty under the former stewardship of majority owner, Farhad Moshiri, after he sold his stake in the club to TFG for a reported £400m.
Recent years have seen the Blues embroiled in successive relegation battles and two points deductions due to breaches of the Premier League’s PSR (profit and sustainability rules) system.
Everton has also announced that it will head to the USA for its pre-season summer tour for the second edition of the Premier League Summer Series, which also involves Manchester United, AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United.
It involves games in three Stateside cities in nine days between Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, August 3.
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