The Board of Birmingham City is pleased to announce the appointment of Chairman of the Board, Tom Wagner, and Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, at Birmingham City Football Club.
Cook is also appointed to the board. Both appointments are effective immediately.
Tom Wagner is co-founder and co-CEO of Knighthead Capital Management LLC (Knighthead) and previously worked for investment firm Goldman Sachs. On Thursday 13 July 2023, under Wagner’s leadership, Knighthead, through its affiliate Shelby Companies Limited (SCL), completed the transaction with the majority owners of Birmingham City Football Club (“Birmingham City”), including Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited, to acquire full ownership and control of St. Andrew’s and 45.64% ownership of Birmingham City Limited. SCL is now responsible for the day-to-day running of Birmingham City and will provide the necessary funding to rebuild and set a new trajectory for the Club.
In the position of Chief Executive Officer, Cook has responsibility for building and leading the team to deliver the transformation of the Club both on and off the pitch. Cook, a lifelong Birmingham City fan, is an experienced and respected leader in the global football and sports industry. He has held senior positions at a number of leading organisations including Nike, where he spent time leading the Air Jordan brand, Manchester City, and the UFC. Most recently he was Executive President and CEO of the Saudi Pro League.
Chairman, Wagner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Garry to the team. A commitment has been made to the Club’s fans that we would hire exceptional leaders, experienced in managing the successful transformation of football clubs and world-leading sporting businesses. We have started at the very top with the appointment of Garry Cook as CEO. We will support him by making available the resources needed, in line with EFL guidelines, to deliver for the good of the Club and the benefit of the City of Birmingham.
“Garry has extensive knowledge of the global football landscape. He is a proven leader who will galvanise the employees, the fans, and the broader community, driving Birmingham City forward. As a child, Garry stood on the terraces at St. Andrew’s. After a stellar career, working across the globe, we have now brought him home to help write the next glorious chapter in this great club’s history.”
Cook said: “The landscape of Birmingham is continuing to positively change. It’s young, multicultural and dynamic. It is time for the football club that bears its name, and shares its values, to add to this exciting story. With the support of Tom and the Knighthead team, and in partnership with the city of Birmingham, we aim to be world class in everything that we do. Improving the fan experience will be at the centre of our decision making. We are going to think and act differently on and off the pitch.
“The Birmingham City story dates back to 1875 when the Small Heath Alliance team was formed. A blue thread based on teamwork, entertainment and unbreakable community spirit was created then and it continues to this day. It is now our turn to write new stories and produce new heroes – men, women, boys, and girls. There are going to be challenges and patience will be a virtue, but I could not be more enthusiastic about the future of this special club.”
About Knighthead Capital Management LLC
Knighthead Capital Management, LLC (“Knighthead”) was co-founded in 2008 by Ara Cohen and Tom Wagner and currently has approximately $9.5 billion of assets under management. Knighthead is an event driven and deep value focused SEC registered investment advisor that specializes in investing in companies that need financial and operational restructuring. Knighthead has worked to create a diversified credit platform with an experienced team of investment professionals, specializing in credit analysis, sourcing, trading, and restructuring. Knighthead’s long-term objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients while emphasizing the preservation of capital. Knighthead manages assets across a variety of investment vehicles including a long/short Evergreen Hedge Fund, a number of Closed-End Credit Vehicles, a dedicated Real Estate Lending business and a sizable Insurance Asset Management business.
