Alison Brittain appointed as first female chair of the Premier League

Alison Brittain, group retail director of Lloyds Banking Group Plc, poses for a photograph outside a newly rebranded branch of TSB in London, U.K., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2013.

The Premier League will be chaired by a woman for
the first time when Alison Brittain takes over the role next year, the league
said on Tuesday after the clubs unanimously voted in favour of her appointment.

Brittain, the outgoing chief executive of
hospitality giant Whitbread, was recently named as the new chair of home
furnishings retailer Dunelm.

She will leave her role at Whitbread in early 2023
and succeed interim Premier League chair Peter McCormick, who stepped in after
Gary Hoffman resigned in the wake of an outcry from other clubs over Newcastle
United’s takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium.

“I have been a football fan since I was a child and
so am absolutely delighted to be appointed chair of the Premier League,”
Brittain said.

“It will be a real privilege to be able to help to
develop plans for the future and work with all the key stakeholders in the game
to ensure its long-term sustainability and success.”

Brittain previously held a number of senior roles in
the British banking industry, serving as group director in the retail division
of Lloyds Banking Group and as board director at Santander UK.

The 57-year-old, who also spent nearly two decades
at Barclays, has been on the advisory boards of the last three British Prime
Ministers. She is currently the senior independent director at data credit firm
Experian.

“Alison has had a positive impact on every
organisation she has been a part of, so I am delighted she is joining the
Premier League as chair,” chief executive Richard Masters said.

“She has a tremendous track record in business, gets
things done with a down-to-earth style and is well respected and liked in all
the industries she has worked.

“She also has a keen interest in the game and how it
can develop further.”