Confirmation has been made of the addition of four new directors to the Aston Villa board shortly after a significant agreement was finalized. The deal between V Sports, the company owned by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and American investment firm Atairos has been completed. Atairos now holds a minority position in V Sports, while V Sports retains full ownership of Villa with complete operational authority. The completion of the agreement has resulted in Atairos appointing four new members to the board of directors, including chairman and CEO Michael Angelakis, managing director Chester Hall, as well as Bashir Lebada and Sarah Louise Waterson. Sawiris and Edens expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership with Atairos, noting that it will bring capital for infrastructure investments and support growth for Aston Villa and the wider V Sports network in the future.
As a seasoned investor, Atairos has collaborated with many of the top businesses in the media, sports, live entertainment, and leisure sectors, both in the UK and around Europe.
“We are happy to welcome the Atairos team to the V Sports family and are confident that Atairos is the right long-term strategic partner to support our next phase of growth.”
Atairos, which has a history of funding expansion-oriented companies, has made its first investment in football with Villa, which has offices in New York and Philadelphia and roughly $6.5 billion in equity resources.
“We have deep respect for Aston Villa, its rich history and devoted fan base, world-class management team and employees, and the V Sports ownership group,” stated Angelakis in a statement.
“We have faith in this partnership will provide further long-term support for the growth of the Premier League and Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s teams. We look forward to working with Nassef, Wes and the Aston Villa team to strengthen the Club’s ability to compete and achieve even greater success.”
