Burnley FC Board of Directors confirmed

Dave Checketts, the former CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company and president of the New York Knicks, is to join Burnley Football Club’s board of directors in June.
Burnley FC chairman Alan PaceBurnley FC chairman Alan Pace
Burnley FC chairman Alan Pace

Checketts, aged 65, will sit on ALK Capital’s new board at Turf Moor, headed by Chairman Alan Pace. The executive team will also feature highly respected academic Antonio Dávila, a Professor of Entrepreneurship, Accounting and Control and Chair of Innovation at IESE Business School.

A leading figure in sport and entertainment for nearly four decades, Checketts brings a wealth of experience as in growing successful sports franchises, stadia and hospitality business to Burnley. He will officially join the club in the summer after completing a three-year term of service as President of the LDS Church's London mission.

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At 28, Checketts became President and General Manager of the Utah Jazz, making him the youngest Chief Executive in NBA history. He then spent a year as the General Manager of NBA International, where he worked to increase the league's presence around the world, before joining the New York Knicks in March 1991 as President, overseeing a period where the team set records for attendance, television ratings and revenue.

Dave CheckettsDave Checketts
Dave Checketts

He went on to become President and CEO of Madison Square Garden, overseeing all venues, sports franchises and media properties owned by the group, before starting his own firm SCP Worldwide in 2001, an owner of sports and entertainment properties. In July 2004, SCP established Major League Soccer franchise Real Salt Lake and later installed Alan Pace as the club’s President and CEO, with the club going on to win the 2009 MLS Cup. Most recently Checketts has invested in hospitality, entertainment and media companies through the private equity funds he manages and is an investor in ALK Capital.

Prof. Antonio Dávila also holds a personal connection to the Burnley chairman, as a senior academic at IESE Business School in Barcelona, where Pace gained a master’s degree in international finance. A global authority on the growth of start-ups, innovation and sports management, Dávila has worked as a consultant to UEFA, supporting the organisation’s Certificate in Football Management diploma. He has a doctorate from Harvard Business School and has taught at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Harvard Business School.

ALK Capital partners Mike Smith and Stuart Hunt will also take seats on the board, sitting alongside former Burnley F.C. shareholders Mike Garlick and John Banaszkiewicz, who will provide vital knowledge from their long-term association with the football club.

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Alan Pace, Chairman of Burnley F.C. said: “I am delighted to welcome Dave Checketts and Antonio Dávila to the board at Burnley Football Club, as we establish a strong leadership team to accelerate Burnley’s growth and continue the club’s long-term financial stability.

Prof. Antonio DávilaProf. Antonio Dávila
Prof. Antonio Dávila

“Having known both individuals for many years, I know the immense value and expertise they will bring to our organisation and the wider business of Premier League football. I look forward to welcoming them to Turf Moor.”