Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Lina Souloukou as the club’s new chief executive officer (CEO).
The Athletic reported on December 7 Souloukou was set to be appointed CEO of owner Evangelos Marinakis’ multi-club model, with Nottingham Forest expected be her priority.
Souloukou, who has occupied similar roles at Roma and Olympiacos, will begin work on January 5.
She will be handed the task of overseeing the strategic development of Forest, driving the club’s continued growth in the Premier League — and also their ambitions to return to European competition.
Forest have not had a CEO since Dane Murphy departed in January 2023, but Souloukou’s appointment adds significant experience to the role.
Souloukou, 41, first joined Olympiacos in 2016, initially as a legal advisor to Marinakis, the Greek shipping magnate who is the figurehead of the Athens club, as well as Forest and Portuguese side Rio Ave.
Within a little more than two years, she had progressed to the role of general manager, as her influence rapidly grew.
She is expected to have an influence over all the clubs within the Marinakis football empire. The Greek businessman has confirmed he is also also aiming to buy Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.
Souloukou has more recently worked in Serie A, in Italy, where she was appointed Roma CEO in April 2023 and resigned from her role in September this year. Her decision to step down came four days after the sacking of head coach Daniele De Rossi.
She has a legal background having studied law at university in Madrid before becoming legal director at another Greek club, Super League 2 side Panionios and legal counsel for the Basketball Referees Federation of Greece, the Hellenic Boxing Federation and the Hellenic Federation of Football Coaches.
Souloukou represented both Olympiacos and Roma on the board of the European Club Association (ECA).
“We are delighted to welcome Lina to our team. Her proven track record in football management and her passion and commitment align perfectly with our vision for Nottingham Forest and the wider group as we continue to push for greater success,” said Marinakis, in a club statement.
“I am honoured to rejoin Mr Marinakis’ football family,” added Souloukou. “The opportunity to drive forward the success of Nottingham Forest and contribute to the wider group is an exciting challenge. I look forward to starting work to deliver on our shared ambitions.”
(Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
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