From Sky Sports:

Chelsea have announced that Ron Gourlay is to succeed Peter Kenyon as the club's new chief executive.

The Blues were informed of Kenyon's decision to step down from the role on Wednesday.

He will remain in the post until the end of the October, but will then make way for the new man.

Gourlay has been working as Chelsea's chief operating officer but is delighted to have been offered the opportunity to step into Kenyon's shoes.

"It is a huge honour to be offered the chance to lead Chelsea," he told the club's official website.

"We have a fantastic team both on and off the field and those teams can move us on to even greater success in the future.

"To be responsible for that is a fantastic challenge and I will be giving it my total commitment, drive and energy.

"All successful clubs strike the balance between the footballing and commercial sides and my role is to ensure this happens as it is a critical part of our strategy moving forward."

Another Manc with Umbro connections. No idea how deep those connections go, his brand new looking Wikepidia page currently consists of not a lot as yet, apart from an excerpt from the statement on the Official Site

GOURLAY IS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Posted on: Thu 17 Sep 2009

A little more info. From the BBC:

Like Kenyon, Gourlay was recruited by Chelsea from Manchester United where he was commercial director of the club's merchandising department.

So now you know.

LINK

Let's just hope he remains a bit more anonymous than his predecessor...

For some reason I keep reading the title of the thread as: "Ron Gourlay new chef". :unsure:

For some reason I keep reading the title of the thread as: "Ron Gourlay new chef".

It's a Freudian slip. Head for the nearest restaurant.

'Too many cooks' etc.

Let's hope he dosen't leave a bad taste...

Can't see a great deal of change from his predecessor

Wow...pulled the trigger quickly...must've been all pre-planned out.

I would be more than happy if I never hear anything about Gourlay again...he'll have done a better job than Kenyon then.

Wow...pulled the trigger quickly...must've been all pre-planned out.

I would be more than happy if I never hear anything about Gourlay again...he'll have done a better job than Kenyon then.

Ditto

For some reason I keep reading the title of the thread as: "Ron Gourlay new chef". ;)

With Keith Floyd's sad demise there is a vacancy :)

Am I the only one who had never heard of this bloke? Worked as our "chief operating officer", another vague management title for Gem to hate in the Things I hate thread... who or what did he operate anyway? And will he become our new scapegoat for everything that befalls us in life (and not to mention what will befall Chelsea)?

What concerns me is that he's also a former manc like Kenyon. Could be a conspiracy from the mancs to ruin our beloved club by putting all of their waste in our boardrooms.. ;) I'll give Mr. Ron Gourlay the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. At least he's safe for the next two transferwindows :)

What concerns me is that he's also a former manc like Kenyon.

That is alarming. Where did you get that information from?

That is alarming. Where did you get that information from?

Guess who only bothered to read the last post?

Bloody hell not another Manc sympathiser in the ranks. We should get shot of him immediately and he can take that useless Man Utd supporter John Terry with him.

What this club needs is more born and bred Chelsea fans to lead it to unrivalled glory. We need more of the likes of Abramovich, Mourinho, Hiddink,Drake and Docherty - you know the sort - good ol' fashioned 'alright china, me and the old boy love the f'arking Chels' sorts.

Bloody hell not another Manc sympathiser in the ranks. We should get shot of him immediately and he can take that useless Man Utd supporter John Terry with him.

What this club needs is more born and bred Chelsea fans to lead it to unrivalled glory. We need more of the likes of Abramovich, Mourinho, Hiddink,Drake and Docherty - you know the sort - good ol' fashioned 'alright china, me and the old boy love the f'arking Chels' sorts.

Don't knock the Doc!

Point taken, the Doc was born on the Fulham Road, was brought up by his Dad as a Chelsea fan, used to duck under the turnstiles at the Bridge as a lad, grew celery in his allotment to take to the game and spent his evenings with his old man down the rubber crowded round the Joanna singing songs with the lyrics 'ave a banana' in them.