Peter Lawwell is back at Celtic in a major role as the club has confirmed he is the new chairman.
Lawwell was at the heart of huge successes both on and off the field in his role as chief executive when he stepped down over a year ago and it has been a very badly kept secret that he was earmarked to come back to take over from Ian Bankier who relinquished the role at the recent AGM.
A Celtic statement reads: "Celtic is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Lawwell as a director of Celtic plc and its new Non-Executive Chairman. Peter will take up his new role from January 1st, 2023, following the retirement of current Chairman, Ian Bankier.
"During his tenure as Chief Executive, the Club won 29 trophies, including 13 league titles and an unprecedented Quadruple Treble, enjoying a period of sustained growth and success.
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"Following his retirement as Chief Executive, Peter has continued as a director of Celtic Football and Athletic Company Limited, representing the Club as a board member of the European Club Association."
Lawwell said: “As a lifelong Celtic supporter it is a great privilege to be asked to take up the position of Chairman, having already been part of our great Club for nearly 18 years. These are exciting times for the Club and I look forward to contributing to the well-being and success of the Club.
"Our objective as ever will be to grow and further develop the Club across all areas. Led by an excellent Chief Executive in Michael Nicholson, and Chief Financial Officer Chris McKay, the Club has a high-quality management team in place.
"I will be offering my support and guidance to the Board and executive management team to ensure that we continue to drive the Club forward and protect and promote the interests of our supporters.”
Celtic Chief Executive Michael Nicholson added: "Peter has a wealth of experience in the football industry at a domestic, European and global level, which is invaluable to the Club going forward.
"Our collective objective is to create a world-class football club that our supporters can be proud of, competing at the highest level, with a strategy based on growth and continuous improvement."
Celtic’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond said: "Peter is a man of the highest quality, someone who has served the Club already with real commitment and expertise and his experience and knowledge of the club, as well as of the wider global football environment, will help continue to drive the Club forward.
"He is perfectly placed to work with Michael Nicholson, Chris McKay and the Board to ensure we continue to compete in Scottish and European football and to manage the challenges and opportunities in a European context.
“I would also like to thank Ian Bankier for his excellent contribution to Celtic over a number of years. I join everyone at the Club in wishing him and his family every success for the future.”
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou added: “It is fantastic news for the Club. He was instrumental in bringing me to Celtic, I know the love he has for the Club and I know that his wealth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable to us all as we move forward together. I would also like to wish Ian and his family all the very best for the future."
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