Ineos hire new chief executive for sporting branch
British chemicals company and growing sports player Ineos have hired Jean-Claude Blanc as the firm’s new sport chief executive.
Blanc will begin in post from February of next year and will be responsible for the development of facilities for each of the teams and franchises Ineos owns.
The company, founded by Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has a growing portfolio in the world of sport including a Grand Tour cycling team, various football clubs and sponsorship deals in sailing, Formula 1 and international rugby.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos said, “I am delighted to welcome Jean Claude as CEO of Ineos Sport with his many years of experience across different sports.
“We have high ambitions for all our sports teams with a particular ambition to raise our standards in football and Jean Claude will bring an entrepreneurial and innovative flair to all our teams.”
Jean-Claude Blanc added, “I am very honoured and proud to join Jim Ratcliffe and his impressive Ineos executive team. I am looking forward to helping to build and further develop all existing Ineos sports assets and to guide, along with the Ineos Sport Board, each of the existing sport executive teams to even greater success.”
Ratcliffe has expressed his interest in the Premier League recently with a late bid for the then unsold Chelsea and a more recent declaration of interest in Manchester United.
Blanc has experience as a marketing executive at French footballing giant Paris Saint-Germain and is the former chief executive of Juventus.
Blanc spent 12 years with PSG and was most recently the club’s deputy managing director.
“As part of the ongoing transformation of PSG on and off the pitch, Jean-Claude Blanc will… bid a warm farewell to the club.” a PSG press release said.