Following the departure of Danny Townsend to the Australian Professional Leagues, Sydney FC have announced the appointment of previous Chief Operating Officer Adam Santo as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Having worked for the club over the past nine years in numerous roles including as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary from 2013 – and even as the Acting Chief Executive Officer for six months in 2017 prior to Townsend’s appointment – Santo brings a wealth of experience to the role.
During this time, he was instrumental in securing the transfer of A-League Player Of The Year Adrian Mierzejewski and the visit of Arsenal FC to Australia to play the Sky Blues.
Santo was born in Sydney and has dedicated much of his life to football – having played, coached, refereed, and volunteered within the Sydney football and futsal community.
He began his career at KPMG in Sydney before moving to London to work for investment bank UBS and property management firm Capital and Regional plc. for four years.
Santo has accumulated an extensive range of experience in his time with Sydney FC, including involvement in all football recruitment and transfer decisions. Santo has also played a key role off the pitch, overseeing a series of record financial performances for the club and successfully navigating the displacement from Allianz Stadium.
He has attended every Sydney FC Board Meeting over the past nine years and has a detailed understanding of the club’s strategy and expectations. Santo also played a significant role behind the scenes establishing processes to preserve the culture that has delivered great success the club has enjoyed during his tenure.
Chairman Scott Barlow believes Santo is the perfect appointment.
“Adam has a wealth of experience and an intimate knowledge of Sydney FC after nine years with the club,” he said in a statement.
“He has been instrumental in helping to guide Sydney FC through a very turbulent period over the past four years of displacement and Covid-19.
“We are proud to have such an exceptional candidate and to be able to promote someone from within the club.
“Next season is the most important in our club’s history and it’s critical we have someone with the experience and knowledge to help us maximize the opportunity of our move back to Moore Park and the rejuvenation of our A-League squad.
“I would like to thank Danny Townsend for the phenomenal job he has done during the past five years in the role and we look forward to working with him very closely in his role at the APL.”
Santo will move into the job immediately as the Sky Blues prepare for a big few months.
“It is a privilege to work and now lead the best sporting club in Australia,” he said in a statement.
“This is a crucial period for the club managing the return to Allianz Stadium, the construction of the Centre of Excellence and rebuilding our A-League squad.
“I am acutely aware of the expectations of the Members and fans; the club must deliver a high-quality on-field product and our interactions off the pitch need to align to our strong brand.
“I have lived and breathed Sydney FC for the past nine years and will bring my own approach into the head role, a philosophy of delivering a high level of service to the myriad of club stakeholders.”
