OXFORD United have appointed a former finance boss at Inter Milan and Man United as their new chief executive.
The final paperwork from the English Football League (EFL) has been received by the U’s, allowing the club to announce Tim Williams as the new chief executive.
Williams has previously served as chief financial officer at Inter Milan and group financial controller at Man United.
He said: “I see an exciting amount of potential here, I see a club that’s got a really rich history but can go even further.
“The reality is that we want to be a strong, sustainable, well-run football club.
“Fundamentally as chief executive, the buck stops with me.
“We’re unusual in football that we’re a private business, but we fulfil an important community role.
“I’m here to help grow the football club, but we work together as one team, and everyone in the team has a voice.”
The appointment of Williams follows the protracted change of ownership at United being announced last week.
Indonesian investors Anindya Bakrie and Erick Thohir finalised a deal which sees them take a controlling 51 per cent stake in the U’s.
It ended Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth’s four-and-a-half-year term as owner and chairman, although the Thai businessman remains a minority shareholder.
Grant Ferguson, who was appointed a director of the club earlier this year, has assumed the role of chairman.
Niall McWilliams, managing director since December 2017, has taken on the role as chief strategy officer, while also serving as project director for United’s stadium move project.
The ownership news came 18 months after it emerged United’s Indonesian investors were looking to secure the majority stake and updates had been sparse since then.
Bakrie and Thohir gradually increased their stake during that time, but Tiger remained chairman until the deal was formally completed.
In the meantime, Bakrie and Thohir passed the necessary EFL checks that allow them to take control of the club.
Williams is a chartered accountant, a visiting professor at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Business School, and sits on the advisory board of the MMU Institute of Sport.
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