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Phillips: New PSL CEO no mug
09/03/2007 08:18 - (SA)
Johannesburg - "He's no mug," was the frank, in-character and reassuring description of new, but little-known Norwegian-born PSL chief executive Siem Kjetil from his predecessor, Trevor Phillips, after the league made the surprise announcement on Thursday.
"I've had a number of business dealings with my successor, both while at the PSL and in other spheres," added Phillips, "and I've found him a bright, intelligent individual who is generally on the ball."
But Phillips was emphatic he had no say in Kjetil's appointment - and like most other top PSL officials, only discovered the news hours before it was announced by chairperson Irvin Khoza, who had been mandated to head hunt for the position.
Khoza, who apart from being PSL chairperson, is also the chairperson of South Africa's 2010 Local Organising committee, vice-president of Safa and is the dictatorial driving force behind tradition-steeped, but recently ailing Orlando Pirates.
It is also rumoured he finds time to play a few holes of golf and appoints Orlando Pirates string of coaches with a questionable success rating.
Phillips, who is due to stand down as PSL CEO at the end of the current season after two successful stints during the past 10 years in which he transformed a bumbling, bankrupt organisation into something more respectable and distinctly more affluent, revealed he would remain in South Africa and continue to serve the organisation on a consultancy basis.
Kjetil, for his part, is due to step into one of South African soccer's hottest seats in August, with Phillips "still around" during the transition period.
Among the Norwegian's credentials is a year as CEO of the Norwegian League. He was also the commercial director and CEO of Oslo club Valerenga, but most of his career has been devoted to a career as a journalist on both newspapers and TV.
"I am very excited and looking forward to starting," said Kjetil in surprisingly good English for a Norwegian while addressing the PSL press conference.
- SAPA
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