Ian Ayre, former chief executive of English Premier League football club Liverpool, has been appointed as chair of the board at the ACC Liverpool Group, a multi-purpose events complex in the city.
Ayre (pictured) will take over from current chair David McDonnell, who is stepping down from his position after seven years.
ACC Liverpool comprises the BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and ticketing agency TicketQuarter.
Ayre left Liverpool last month to join German 2.Bundesliga team 1860 Munich.
“I am honoured to have been appointed chair of the ACC Liverpool Group board as I embark on the next phase of my professional career,” Ayre said. “It was important to me on leaving Liverpool Football Club to remain involved with the city when my day to day role will now move to Munich, Germany. I can think of no better organisation than The ACC Liverpool Group to allow me to continue to make a contribution to the region.
“Its significance to the area cannot be overestimated, particularly for the profile it brings on a national and international scale. I look forward to bringing my own experience of guiding large organisations.”
The group’s chief executive, Bob Prattey, added: “We are extremely grateful to David who has been a fantastic chair since he was appointed in 2010. Ian is the perfect candidate to take over this role thanks to his comprehensive experience at commercial organisations and high-profile venues such as Liverpool Football Club.
“This is an exciting time for us as we head towards our tenth anniversary next year and we are pleased that Ian will join us on the next phase of this journey.”
ACC Liverpool opened in 2008 and has since generated £1.2bn (€1.38bn/$1.49bn) in economic impact to the city region. Highlights on this year’s calendar include Bob Dylan, Bruno Mars and the Gymnastics British Championships.
