Boardroom appointments

01 July 2002

Albion have made the two appointments as reported earlier. Mike O'Leary, 49, will be appointed as Chief Executive and Brendon Batson MBE, 49, will be appointed as Managing Director, specifically charged with responsibility for footballing matters. Both will also become main board directors of the Company.

O'Leary has extensive experience of managing a broad range of businesses and was for 14 years a main board director of Misys PLC, the computer software company with links into healthcare systems among others, as it grew from a private company to a FTSE-100 listed multinational. Also connected to Misys is iSOFT Chairman Roger Dickens, who is also Chairman of the West Bromwich Building Society, giving rise to speculation that he too may be joining the Board in a non-executive capacity. O'Leary will be working without remuneration and will report directly to Jeremy Peace, has been a season ticket holder for 30 years and has an excellent reputation and CV as well as one of the largest independent shareholdings in the Club. He said of the appointment:

"I shall be delighted to join the Albion at this exciting time. There are many challenges ahead but we now have a team more than capable of meeting those challenges and moving the Club forward in the Premiership."

Batson's role will be to work closely with Gary Megson and played for Albion between 1978 and 1984; for the last 18 years he has worked at the Professional Footballers Association where he is currently Deputy Chief Executive. Batson said of his new role:

"I have long admired Gary Megson and look forward to working with one of the brightest young managers in the Premiership. I believe that we will form a successful team working together to achieve a successful first season in the Premiership."

In addition, the Board has been reviewing the financial operation of the Club since Peace took over, paying particular attention to a dispute with the builders of the new East Stand, which has overrun its original costs by just over a million pounds, with a possible further £1.8 million to follow if the contractors claims are upheld. In addition, the training ground facilities, due to have been complete by now, require further work and cash to finish.

Gary Megson's revised contract is also said to be near to an agreement.

Previous Stories:

  30 June 2002:  News roundup

  18 June 2002:  Dobie transfer request

  13 June 2002:  Peace keen to face supporters

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