David Courell has been confirmed as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the FAI. The news comes after confirmation this morning that CEO Jonathan Hill would be stepping down from his position at the end of April.

Courell, from Castlebar, County Mayo, has served as Chief Operating Officer of the FAI since February 2022.

As an experienced Sports Executive, Courell’s previous positions included being Head of Business Management at the FA in England where he established a new function responsible for the development and execution of strategy across the breadth of the organisation where he introduced what has been recognised by UEFA as an industry-leading business planning process.

His time at The FA also saw him lead on several special projects including Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup planning for the England Senior Men’s team and the feasibility study into England co-hosting major tournaments.

After graduating from UCD, he progressed his career in the UK starting as a Management Consultant with Deloitte in London.

He transitioned into the world of sport playing a key role at the heart of the London 2012 Games as Operations Manager for the Olympic Stadium.

From there he took on the role of Director of Operations for the British Paralympic Association, helping to lead the team to record-setting performances at both the Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 Games. He moved to the English FA in 2017 and returned to the FAI in February 2022.

“With extensive experience in international sports administration and having spent the last two years as Chief Operating Officer, David has a deep understanding of the workings of the Association and is well-positioned to lead the FAI while we undertake a process to appoint a permanent CEO,” said Independent Chair Tony Keohane.

“Along with the rest of the Board, I am confident he will continue to keep Irish football moving forward during this interim period.”

“It is an honour to be asked to take on this post and a privilege to continue the positive work being carried out by the FAI,” said Courell.

“I look forward to working with the Board, the talented senior leadership team, the FAI’s trusted partners and our passionate and committed colleagues to progress our collective strategic ambitions.”

 

Sport for Business Perspective:

With a strong bank of experience and an engaging personality, Dave Courell was an obvious choice to take in the Interim CEO position and would be a contender for the full-time role.

Jonathan Hill staying on to the 30th of April may well cover the appointment of a new Senior Men’s Team Head Coach, tying up one of the loose ends that have dangled since the end of last year.

Courell would then take over with a decent run to the first competitive window for the Men’s team, at a time when the Women’s team are playing at the highest level in Europe and when the SSE Airtricity league of Ireland is fulfilling its long-term potential, and with a Senior Leadership group that is well capable of delivering good results for the sport at every level.

 

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