The Jurasek era begins

After experiencing one of their worst seasons ever, Chelsea started their plans for the new season by appointing Chris Jurasek as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The position had been lying vacant after new owner Todd Boehley had decided that he would take a step back from managing the club’s day-to-day activities. This announcement comes just days after former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as the new manager for the next season.

This decision comes after Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League table, 27 points from the Champions League places. It has been a steep fall for a team that won the Champions League just two years back. The start of Chelsea’s decline can be traced back to last year when long-time owner Roman Abrahimovic was forced to sell the club following sanctions that the United Kingdom government put on him in light of the Russia-Ukraine war.

New owner Todd Beohley took over, promising to take the club to newer heights. However, what has followed has been a disaster of a season with the club firing their Champions League manager Thomas Tuchel and failing to win any silverware despite spending well over €300 million that, included big-money deals for Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk. Furthermore, players have also been signed to extremely long contracts, another of Boehley’s new ideas that seem to be misfiring for now.

However, even though small, Jurasek’s appointment is a step in the right direction. So, who is Chris Jurasek?

Who is Chris Jurasek 

Chris Jurasek is a venture capitalist by profession, an executive with Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm part of the consortium that had brought Chelsea from Abrahimovic. Jurasek completed his bachelor’s from Green State Bowling University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Management Information Systems (BSBA-MIS). Jurasek also has a degree in Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

🚨 Chelsea FC has appointed Chris Jurasek as its new chief executive officer.

Jurasek will take responsibility for all the business areas of the club and will report to the board alongside co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who will remain responsible… pic.twitter.com/ubJ1MvtkkC

— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) May 30, 2023

During his career, he has been in various leadership roles as Director, CEO, and board member for multiple ventures. In 2014, he was appointed as an operating executive for Clearlake Capital, a position he served for over nine years.

Given his background and the harsh lessons that Chelsea have learnt under Boehley’s tenure as CEO, Jurasek will solely be responsible for the club’s business side rather than the decisions that affect the club on the pitch.

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After his appointment, Jurasek said, “I’m delighted to be joining Chelsea, a club which is loved and followed all over the world. I’m enormously proud to be leading it into the next chapter in its rich history. We have huge opportunities to grow on and off the pitch and to engage our exceptional fans both in London and wherever they are supporting us from. I’m looking forward to working closely with our owners, leadership and everyone around the club.”

One of the first tasks that Jurasek will have to deal with will be to find a new shirt sponsor, given that the deal with telecommunication company Three was only till the end of the current season.

His appointment was also followed by the resignation of Tom Glick, who was accused of not properly handling a sexual harassment complaint from agent Catalina Kim against then-commercial director Damian Willoughby who was later fired.

On Glick’s exit, the club said, “We’d like to thank Tom for all his efforts and support to us during the first year of our ownership and for helping Chelsea position the club for future success.”