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Denise Barrett-Baxendale left Everton in June 2023 but has now stepped back into football alongside former board member Grant Ingles.
Former Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale has taken a step back into football.
Barrett-Baxendale left the Toffees in June 2023. She spent five years in the role but departed following fan protests against the club’s board. Everton narrowly survived Premier League relegation in the respective 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, with the club also slipping into a precarious financial situation.
Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp have left their boardroom roles. It came after the decision-makers had not attended a game since January 2023, having been warned of a ‘real and credible threat to their safety" following ‘threatening correspondence’. It was alleged that Barret-Baxendale was ‘put in a headlock’ by a fan after a 4-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.
At the time, Merseyside Police said: “No threats or incidents were reported to police prior to the game, but we are in communication with the club to establish if any offences have taken place, and to ensure that any future reports are received through existing channels. Any threats reported to Merseyside Police would be assessed and investigated as a matter of course, and any appropriate safety measures implemented.”
Barrett-Baxendale was replaced by Colin Chong, who has served as interim CEO since. Leeds United’s Angus Kinnear will arrive at the Toffees to take up the key backroom role at the end of the 2024-25 season, with Chong to focus on his remit as chief stadium development officer ahead of Everton’s move to their new Bramley-Moore Dock ground.
Meanwhile, Barrett-Baxendale and Ingles have reunited for a new venture. They have created the company Beyond The Pitch LTD. Companies House records show the pair both hold a 50 per cent shareholding.
On its website, Beyond The Pitch is described as an ‘elite sports consultancy’. A description reads: “We are different from other consultancies due to our real, recent, and relevant hands-on experience, meaning we understand intimately the challenges faced by leaders across the world of sport.
“This lived experience, accumulated through intense periods of success and challenge, puts us in a unique position to offer shrewd insights, navigate the complexities of the industry, and deliver recommendations rooted in the real world of top-flight sport.
“We understand the complexities of running a high-profile sports organisation and have a proven track record at the most senior level of leadership within the industry. Our experience comes directly from the realities of making tough decisions based on actual outcomes rather than theory. This is matched by our extensive network of leaders in sport, and our close relationships with organisations, including UEFA, FIFA, the Premier League and the UK Government.” Services offered by Beyond The Pitch include: sale and acquisition, infrastructure, financing, talent, strategy and leadership.