Vinai Venkatesham is set to step down from the position of Arsenal’s chief executive. In a report through the club’s official website, Venkatesham is leaving the Emirates stadium after 14 years the coming summer.
The chief was appreciated and thanked by the Co-chair, Josh Kroenke, for his service to the club. Josh declared that the Board is fully supportive of Vinai’s desire to pursue his next challenge.
Josh further continued to call it business as usual, with everyone focused on the season ahead. They would like to take this moment to thank Venkatesham for his contribution and long service. He assures that Vinai will always be part of the Arsenal family and always be welcome back at Emirates Stadium.
Change and succession are something the club is well prepared for. The Board remains committed to its strategy and will address leadership change as it continues to drive the club forward.
Venkatesham has proudly stated that now is not the time for goodbyes, as his last day still exceeds several months.
But the current time suits best to look back on the progress that Arsenal has made since he took over the position of the chief executive back in 2020. Venkatesham has spent ten years at the club, playing roles and helping the club grow.
Vinai Venkatesham’s contribution as the CEO of Arsenal
When the departure of the head of football Raul Sanllehi was announced by the North London outfit- widely appreciated for breaking the club’s transfer record and signing Nicolas Pepe for £72million the previous summer, it was later revealed that Venkatesham would be playing the Spaniard’s role.
At the time, Arsenal had come off an FA Cup trophy win, which had qualified them for the following season’s Europa League after finishing eighth in the Premier League table, which happened to be their lowest finish since the year 1995. To get the club to become challenging again, there was a lot of work to be put in.
This challenge was taken heads up by Venkatesham. He missed working closely with his colleague and friend Raul but continued to look forward to the new challenge. Venkatesham believed that There was much work to be done to return Arsenal to the top of the game where they belong, as the fans were rightly demanding.
Venkatesham realized that the change would not happen overnight, but he continued to believe in the potential of the club. There were many positives to build on across the club. While football faced uncertainties ahead as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Venkatesham remained confident that Arsenal would emerge strongly and look forward with confidence.
Venkatesham was right to point out that things would need some time to get back on track. Arsenal had its own fair share of downfalls as they went on to finish eighth in the 2020/21 season, failing the European qualification for the first time in over two decades. But he still held a strong belief that the Gunners would come back strong, and the idea was proven right.
Venkatesham performed his duties as the chief of the club with utmost compassion. After living several historical days with Arsenal, Venkatesham is on course to leave Arsenal with a million memories to reminisce on and several moments to be proud of.
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