Four months since Bisgrove left and Rangers still need a CEO | OneFootball

Almost four months ago Rangers were shocked by the staggeringly left-field announcement that CEO James Bisgrove had departed the club with immediate effect, having taken up a new post with Saudi promoted side Al-Qadsiah Club, who were a new entrant to the all-singing Saudi Pro League.

It left Rangers without a rudder, and now-former Chairman John Bennett, on top of also infilling the Sporting Director gig, had to take on the search for a new CEO, the work of the existing CEO, AND the stadium fiasco at the same time.

It was simply too much for the man and he had to quit – we wish him well.

But on the 19th of September, 2024, at the time of writing Rangers are still no closer to finding a CEO, meaning that interim chairman John Gilligan is doing that job himself instead of Bennett.

There were strong rumours it was to be St Mirren’s Jim Gillespie, and lingering claims Hearts’ Andrew McKinlay is in line, but as we fast approach October nothing has been secured, and indeed it’s been made tougher by Bennett’s exit.

The announcements lately of the new sponsorship deals are great news, a bonus £5M solid cash in yearly, thanks to Bisgrove’s successor Karim Virani, but it still doesn’t solve the club’s lack of an executive leader.

Effectively four months of no CEO (or Managing Director as Stewart Robertson was called) is an extensively long period for a club of Rangers’ size to go without that position being filled, and we do now wonder exactly who is being tasked with finding the right man.

Is it Gilligan himself? He was managing director of Tennent’s so he knows a thing or two about corporate success for a large organisation, and while he is now semi-retired, he does have the background to fill in with a degree of success – but whether he can headhunt and get the right CEO for Rangers is another matter.

It is understood Rangers have employed a recruitment agency to aid with the search for a permanent Chairman and CEO, but we’re not sure just how ‘appropriate’ what a recruitment agency will find will be for our club.

Either way, this can’t go on much longer, because Rangers need a proper leader in that boardroom ASAP.