Everton Football Club can confirm the appointment of Sarvar Ismailov and Grant Ingles to its Board of Directors.
Mr Ismailov joined Everton in 2019 as Global Commercial Consultant before becoming Everton Women’s first Sporting and Commercial Director and a member of the Everton Women Strategic Leadership Team in 2020.
In his role as Sporting and Commercial Director he has overseen significant progress for Everton Women both on and off the pitch, including strong commercial growth and improvements to on-field performance, with the side reaching the final of the 2020 FA Cup and finishing fifth in the WSL in 2021.
Mr Ismailov will retain his role at Everton Women and will also remain on the Club’s Stadium Board – a post he took up in 2019.
He will join Sasha Ryazantsev as owner’s representative on the Board.
Mr Ismailov said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to join Everton’s Board of Directors. It is a big responsibility which I will not take lightly. I want to thank our Board and our Majority Shareholder for giving me this opportunity and placing their faith in me.
“I love this club inside and out – and I assure you I have blue blood running through my veins. I am determined and ambitious and will bring new ideas and youthful energy to my role. We are – and always will be – a family club but we are entirely focused on bringing success on the pitch – that is our absolute priority. This is an exciting new chapter for our club. We are beginning a new era and we are only looking forward, determined to deliver success for every Evertonian.”
Mr Ingles’ association with Everton began in 2006 when he worked at the Club on secondment from the Deloitte Sports Business Group, where he was a consultant. He subsequently joined Everton permanently and became the Club’s Finance Director in 2013.
He has also held positions away from the Club, including spells as Finance Director at Australian A-League club Sydney FC.
In total, Grant has worked for Everton for more than 10 years and been part of the Everton Leadership Team since June 2018. He also joined the Club’s Stadium Board in 2019.
As Finance Director, Mr Ingles has been responsible for all financial aspects of the Club, including the regular communication of financial performance to the Board, driving the profitability of the Club, overseeing all banking and funding arrangements, managing the Club’s cash flow position, supporting and maintaining governance structures that ensure the financial assets of the Club are protected, and ensuring that the Club complies with all statutory regulations.
He said: “I am really pleased to join the Everton Board of Directors at such an important time in the Club’s history. We have some incredible opportunities in front of us and I look forward to working with the Board and Executive team to deliver these in the years ahead.
“I’d like to thank the Chairman and Owner for putting their trust in me and Denise and my colleagues at the Club for the tremendous support they have given me over many years.”
Chairman Bill Kenwright said: “On behalf of all the Directors, I am delighted to welcome Sarvar and Grant to our Board. We’re all greatly looking forward to working with them and benefitting from their different roles and skills.
“Grant has been with us for some time and has served Everton superbly while Sarvar will bring youth and exuberance which I believe is a bonus to most board rooms. I know they both understand the real privilege that comes with their roles and I wish them both good fortune in the exciting times ahead for our club."
Chief Executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale added: “I know from the work that Sarvar has done with Everton Women that he is committed to getting results and brings energy, ideas, and a modern perspective to everything he does. I’m excited to be working with him now on our main board and seeing the impact he can make at our Club.
“I have worked closely with Grant for more than 10 years and appointed him as Finance Director when I became Chief Executive in 2018. I value him incredibly highly as a colleague and a leader in our business. He has extensive financial experience both from his time with us and the other roles he has held in the sports sector - and this experience will be very valuable to us as we deliver some key projects in the coming years.”
