Mayo native appointed interim CEO of the FAI

Castlebar man David Courell has been appointed as interim CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). 

The Mayo native’s career began after he graduated with a Master’s in business studies in 2006, which led to a stint with Deloitte as management consultant before he joined the planning team for the 2012 London Olympics.

He then worked for three years as director of operations for the British Paralympic Council before, according to his LinkedIn profile, he was ‘headhunted’ for a role with the English FA, where he worked from 2017 before joining the FAI in 2022. 

Courell had held the role of Chief Operating Officer prior to his new appointment but has been tipped be appointed CEO on a permanent basis. 

He takes over the association on a temporary basis following the resignation over its previous chief, Jonathan Hill. 

His immediate duties will include finding a permanent replacement for the Republic of Ireland senior men’s team following the departure of Stephen Kenny.

Former Manchester United player and Irish international John O’Shea is currently in charge of the team.

David Courell described his appointment to the top job in the FAI as ‘an honour’ and ‘a privilege’.

“I look forward to working with the Board, the talented senior leadership team, the FAI’s trusted partners and our passionate and committed colleagues to progress our collective strategic ambitions,” he said. 

Independent Chair of the Board of the FAI Tony Keohane said: “With extensive experience in international sports administration and having spent the last two years as Chief Operating Officer, David has a deep understanding of the workings of the Association and is well positioned to lead the FAI while we undertake a process to appoint a permanent CEO. Along with the rest of the Board, I am confident he will continue to keep Irish football moving forward during this interim period.”