David Kogan has been appointed as the first chair of English football’s new independent regulator.
The sports media rights executive was named as the government’s preferred choice in April, but faced a “full inquiry” by the Commissioner for Public Appointments which remains ongoing.
Kogan revealed he had contributed money to the Labour Party leadership campaign of Secretary of State Lisa Nandy in 2020, along with that of the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
In April, Nandy said Kogan was the “outstanding candidate” to fill the position, despite not being on the original three-person shortlist.
A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told BBC Sport: “The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee found David Kogan appointable after his scrutiny hearing and we are now pleased to proceed in announcing him as chair.
“It is vital that the work to set up the regulator continues at pace to strengthen the governance of the national game and for that we need a chair in post and a board put in place.
“We have cooperated fully with the inquiry by the Commissioner of Public Appointments and await the report’s publication.”
In May, Kogan told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS) during a pre-appointment hearing that he was being “utterly transparent” by declaring his donations.
The committee endorsed Kogan, but said he must work to “reassure the football community that he will act impartially and in a politically neutral way”. Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage warned that Kogan’s “past donations to the Labour Party will inevitably leave him open to charges of political bias in a job where independence is paramount”.
Kogan said he had donated “very small sums” to the campaigns, as well as thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, but had “total personal independence from all of them” and pledged “total political impartiality” if appointed.
Kogan has been appointed for a five-year term until 19 May 2030. Dame Helen Stephenson and Simon Levine have also been appointed to the board.
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