Ivan Gazidis is a sports business executive, currently the chief executive of English Premier League club Arsenal FC. He is best known for his previous exploits as deputy commissioner of the US's top football division, Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

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Gazidis moved to Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 at the age of 4 and attended Manchester Grammar School

Manchester Grammar School

The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...

, where he excelled as a football player, and was also a gifted drummer playing in at least two school based rock bands. Being an adopted Mancunian from a young age, he supported

Manchester City F.C. supporters

Since their inception in 1880 as St. Mark's , Manchester City F.C have developed a loyal, passionate and dedicated fanbase.Despite finishing 5th in English football's top division, the club were the third best supported team in English football by average league attendance in the 2009–10 season and...

 Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

. Later he attended St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

, where he was twice awarded a blue playing football against the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 in 1984 and 1985. He graduated with a degree

Academic degree

An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

 in law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 in 1986 and in 1992 he moved to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to work for Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm, one of the largest in the world. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but its largest office is now...

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In 1994 he joined the founding management team of Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

, becoming in 2001 its deputy commissioner. He oversaw MLS's key strategic and business decisions and its marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing

Soccer United Marketing

Soccer United Marketing is a business to business soccer sponsorship company wholly owned by Major League Soccer and is responsible for the US English and Spanish broadcasting rights for the World Cup...

, of which he was president. He also helped promote the Mexican Football Federation and the CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...

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In November 2008 Gazidis accepted the post of chief executive of Arsenal, a post he has formally taken up from 1 January 2009. He succeeds former managing director Keith Edelman

Keith Edelman

Keith Edelman is an English businessman. He was Managing Director of Arsenal Football Club between 2000 and 2008.-Business:Keith Edelman graduated from UMIST in 1971 with a BSc in Management Sciences. He then worked for Rank Xerox, IBM and Fiat before joining Bank of America in 1978...

 and is expected to take over many of the roles formerly undertaken by ex-vice-chairman David Dein

David Dein

David Barry Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of the Football Association. He was also the President of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007 and has sat on various committees within FIFA and UEFA including...

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