Featured image credit: Newcastle United
English Premier League club Newcastle United has announced that chief executive Darren Eales is stepping down from his position after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer.
Eales (pictured) will continue to lead Newcastle’s executive team until a successor is appointed. He joined Newcastle in July 2022 from Major League Soccer club Atlanta United, where he had served as president and chief executive since the team was founded in 2014.
Eales said: “Being CEO of Newcastle United is an extraordinary privilege and I am incredibly proud to be part of the club’s exciting journey.
“However, it has become apparent to me that now is the right time to make this decision so that I can prioritise my health and my family. In the short term, it will be business as usual in terms of running the club’s day-to-day operations, and I will give my full support to a transitionary period that will enable the board to carefully assess and appoint my successor.”
Appointments round-up
Elsewhere, Freemans Event Partners has named Natasha Thiebaut as its new chief commercial officer.
Thiebaut will sit on the company’s executive board and has been tasked with delivering its five-year strategic plan. She has previously worked at Everton, FC Porto, Leinster Rugby, Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium and Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana.
Thiebaut previously served as vice-president of IMG’s stadium division, playing a leading role in the opening of Wembley Stadium and developing Club Wembley. She also led IMG’s advisory work for stadium development ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
MLS team San Jose Earthquakes has named Kristina Wavomba as its new vice-president of sponsorships.
Wavomba previously served as senior director of sponsorship sales and strategy for the team. She has spent over 10 years with the Earthquakes, starting in inside sales and rising through the ranks.
Football Australia has appointed Bill Allen and Alex Hamilton to the local organising committee for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Allen joins as tournament director, while Hamilton has been named executive general manager of event growth and experience.
Staidium, a Dallas-based sports technology company, has appointed Kevin Moore as its new managing director for US operations.
Moore joins Staidium after an eight-year tenure at Premier League club Liverpool. He previously held positions with Bayern Munich and OneFootball.
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