It’s been quite the turnaround at the Emirates Stadium over the past two years, with a number of key changes taking place from top to bottom. A director of football operations in the form of Richard Garlick arrived last year, the club’s recruitment team have implemented a new transfer strategy which has so far been a success, and KSE are backing a manager who is restoring hope among the Arsenal faithful.
However, there is another figure at board level who has - and continues - to play an influential role behind the scenes. Since joining as the club’s non-executive director in the summer of 2020, Tim Lewis has built a strong relationship with Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu, regularly visiting the London Colney training ground as we saw in Arsenal’s All or Nothing series.
A corporate lawyer by trade and lifelong Arsenal fan, Lewis was appointed to the board to help conduct a financial review in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. “He will bring additional experience and skills, starting with our work to come out of the current situation in as strong a position as possible,” Stan and Josh Kroenke said in a statement.
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Lewis was no stranger to the Kroenkes when taking up his new position with the Gunners, having had a professional relationship with the family for more than 15 years, according to the Athletic. Rather fittingly, Lewis offered advice to Stan Kroenke and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment over their takeover of the club between 2007 and 2018.
Speaking to the Times in 2011, Lewis said: “The club is so newsworthy, however, that that challenge was taken to a new level. We needed to operate with a very small number of people involved. My family are all regulars at the Emirates. My view? Danny Fiszman, a lifelong, knowledgeable and passionate fan, sold to Stan Kroenke; that says it all.”
Lewis was also called upon to advise Kroenke on his proposal to purchase Alisher Usmanov’s shares and take outright ownership of the club in 2018. Away from football, Lewis was a partner at London-based international law firm, Clifford Chance, for several years, where he acted as an advisor on a number of takeovers valued in the billions.
However, it was recently reported that Lewis had left his position with the firm in order to concentrate on his role with Arsenal. Despite initially being hired to focus on legal matters and issues related to KSE’s takeover, Lewis’ responsibilities have since expanded throughout the club and extended to various departments.
As a board member, any significant expenditure goes through him, the Athletic claims. It’s added that If Arsenal want to sign a new first-team player, for example, Lewis and others will need to give their approval before signalling the green light. His relationship with Arteta, in particular, was highlighted in the aforementioned Amazon documentary.
When the Spaniard and his team were going through a difficult patch whilst the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga rattled on in the background, Lewis was always there to offer reassurance to Arteta. He explained that it wasn’t his job to offer footballing advice to the manager but to support him where possible, showing the extent of Lewis’ responsibilities and respect within the walls of London Colney.
With separate business distractions no longer surrounding him, the hope will be that Lewis continues to have a positive impact across a number of Arsenal’s operations as the club looks to build on from its impressive start to the new season.
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