Who’s who of West Ham’s board: From David Sullivan to multi-billion investor
West Ham’s hierarchy is coming under heavy scrutiny right now.
The Hammers have had a poor start to the campaign at the London Stadium, with West Ham most recently losing 3-0 to Tottenham in the Premier League.
This hasn’t been helped by the fact that West Ham were thrashed by both Chelsea and Sunderland in the opening weeks of the season.
This has seen pressure build on Graham Potter, while fans also vent their frustration towards the Olympic Stadium and the move from the Boleyn Ground.
With all this in mind, West Ham Zone has assessed the different members of the boardroom for the claret and blue outfit right now.
David Sullivan is chairman at West Ham
Sullivan is the most controversial figure at West Ham right now, with fans consistently in their disdain for the 76-year-old in E20.
This comes after a series of poor decisions have left the Hammers in a dangerous position, where relegation could be entirely possible this campaign.
The British businessman took over the Irons back in 2010 alongside David Gold and is now the East London club’s longest-serving owner in the current structure.
It is fair to say that Sullivan has enough finances to back up his role with The Times Rich List, ranking him 150th in their 2024 edition.
The Cardiff-born billionaire also has significant control over where that money is spent in the transfer market, taking over that role after Tim Stiedten left last year.
Karren Brady is David Sullivan’s support
In 2010, Gold and Sullivan were joined by Brady as Vice-Chair of the Hammers, playing a key role in the move to the London Stadium after the 2012 Olympics.
It is fair to say that this switch hasn’t gone down well in the years since the move, something which has impacted the 56-year-old’s reputation in East London.
With that being said, the star of The Apprentice has certainly helped West Ham to grow their revenues and sit among some huge sides in the Premier League.
The Hammers now sit as the 14th most valuable club in the world and within the top eight in the Premier League, something which has been attributed to Brady directly.
Despite this, Brady isn’t truly looked upon favourably by supporters, mainly due to her ties to the stadium switch, which most members of the claret and blue faithful see as a let-down.
Daniel Kretinsky holds 27% share in West Ham
Kretinsky completed a purchase of his share in the Hammers back in 2021 and joined the board alongside Sullivan and Brady in doing so.
The Czech businessman has a net worth of over £7billion but hasn’t showcased an interest in becoming the majority shareholder in East London, despite it looking completely possible.
This comes as a result of Gold’s 25.1 per cent shareholding being transferred to his daughter Vanessa, with her looking to move them on since 2023.
As a result, Kretinsky isn’t involved in day-to-day football operations or management decisions, focusing more time on his acquisition of the Royal Mail.
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