Daniel Levy explains why he hired Vinai Venkatesham as new Tottenham CEO
Daniel Levy has offered insight into the decision-making process behind hiring former Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, explaining what convinced him the 43-year-old was the right man to help lead Tottenham into a new era.
The 2024/25 season is over, and so Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and new chief executive officer Vinai Venkatesham have sat down together to speak on a few matters surrounding the club.
In a recent interview, Levy opened up on why he decided to part ways with Ange Postecoglou just weeks after the Australian delivered Tottenham’s first piece of silverware in 17 years, admitting he had no regrets about appointing the 59-year-old.
Daniel Levy also shed light on the managerial hiring process before Thomas Frank was eventually unveiled as the club’s new head coach, revealing that although 30 names were considered, the Brentford boss was always top of the list.
Vinai Venkatesham was always the first choice for Tottenham
Now, the Tottenham chairman has opened up about the thinking behind bringing in Vinai Venkatesham, who was appointed back in April after a lengthy spell at Arsenal.
Levy stated that he has known Venkatesham for years and considers him not only someone he gets on well with, but also someone whose strong work ethic and values align with his own. He believes Spurs will benefit significantly from the appointment.
He said (Tottenham Hotspur): “I have known Vinai for a number of years. Without doubt, he was the candidate. Sometimes you employ somebody and you are unsure whether it will work out, but because we have known each other, that risk did not exist.
“I am very excited Vinai has joined us, and I think the club is going to benefit enormously from it. Vinai is a good communicator, honest, has integrity, is bright, enjoys being challenged, and I want to be challenged as well.”
Venkatesham also spoke during the interview, explaining that working with good people is one of the most important factors he looks for when taking on a new role.
He described Levy as a key reason for joining Spurs, highlighting their complementary skills and the strong professional relationship they already share.
He said: “Working with good people is one of the, if not the, leading, characteristic I look forward when I’m doing a new role. Daniel and I have known each other professionally, as we’ve said, for a really long time, and I think we’ve got really complementary skills, and I think we’re going to form a really powerful partnership.
“I’ll be taking more of a lead day to day on operational matters on the pitch and off the pitch, but we’ll be working on everything together, and certainly there won’t be any decisions of any significance to happen at the club that we’re not completely joined at the hip on.
“That doesn’t mean that we always agree, we often disagree, and we often challenge each other, but I think that’s a good thing, and I think by working together, we’ll get to we’ll get to better answers.
“I think I’ve got some experience that is going to be valuable and is going to be helpful, but I don’t have all the answers. I need to learn. I need to understand more about this football club and listen, ultimately, in terms of how I see it is quite simple.
“I think a football club exists to make its supporters proud, and the way that you make your supporters proud is by competing to win and ultimately winning trophies. Doing that in a way that’s consistent with the histories and the values and the traditions of a club that have been built up over many, many decades.
“I’m genuinely not just saying it because he’s sitting next to me, but Daniel was a key part of my decision as well. That one similarity we’ve got, which is probably not healthy, is I know that we’re both absolute workaholics, and there are lots of WhatsApps pinged between us at all hours of the day.”
Vinai Venkatesham outlines goals in new Spurs role
Of course, Venkatesham is someone Tottenham fans will have to grow familiar with over the coming years, as he takes on responsibility for both football and non-football matters at the club.
The new Spurs CEO has already set out his three main priorities. First, he aims to develop both the men’s and women’s teams.
Second, he wants to strengthen the relationship between the club and its supporters. Third, he has emphasised the importance of looking after staff and maintaining a strong working culture at Hotspur Way.
Indeed, Tottenham are clearly undergoing a period of change, and while the plans sound promising, supporters will want to see tangible progress and not just hear more boardroom talk.
The post Daniel Levy explains why he hired Vinai Venkatesham as new Tottenham CEO appeared first on Spurs Web.