Dom McKay’s last free hour

Our new CEO Dom McKay will be employed as an executive director from 19th April, working with Peter Lawwell until the latter retires from the top job on 30 June.  McKay will already be involved in considerations around the appointment of a new manager but being released from his role with Scottish Rugby on 16 April will give him time to acclimatise to the vast range of responsibilities the Celtic CEO has.

Celtic is an industry in itself.  It has a print, digital and broadcast media division, online and on-premises retail outlets.  Its principle property is a substantial and complex events venue, which costs in excess of seven figures per annum to maintain.  Income streams include ticket sales, commercial partnerships, equipment sponsorship deals and prize money from domestic and European competition.

It operates restaurants and is licenced to serve alcohol from several bars.  The club employ hundreds of staff, have financial reporting duties consistent with their listing and support the work of the Celtic FC Foundation.  He can succeed with all of this and still fail on the bounce of a ball.

McKay will soon learn demands are made on him from various pressure groups.  Fans, media (old and new) preeminent staff and, of course, a major shareholder, all of whom he will want to satisfy, all of whom he will need to stand firm against, from time to time.  I hope he spends the next two weeks doing as little as possible, because after 19th April, he will never have another free hour.