Chelsea stakeholders Clearlake confirm big hire from Liverpool owners FSG amid Todd Boehly split
In the same week that has seen the Chelsea co-owners, Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake Capital, pitted head-to-head against Todd Boehly, an important business appointment has been made parallel to proceedings. Whilst not involved with the football club, Clearlake have announced that former Fenway Sports Group (FSG) strategy officer has joined the company.
FSG, who own Liverpool, also run MLB side Boston Red Sox. In that competition they compete director against Boehly's LA Dodgers. It is via their impact at Anfield that most of England have become aware of their work though.
Now, after more than 10 years at Red Sox, under FSG, David Beeston has made the shift to Santa Monica-based Clearlake. There, he will be managing director.
The hire was confirmed on September 3, 2024, with a statement confirming that senior additions to the O.P.S (operations, people, strategy) team had been made. “Having the right team in place is critical to driving the Firm’s continued growth and global operational reach, and Clearlake is proud to welcome a group of accomplished senior executives while also promoting our talent from within,” said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake.
Feliciano is also involved at Chelsea, although not as hands-on compared to Eghbali. He continued: “As today’s acquisition of MV Creditillustrates, Clearlake is focused on broadening our global capabilities to better serve our investors, and we willcontinue to add the best talent and resources as we expand."
Eghbali himself added: “We’re proud of the multifaceted team we’ve built, who possess the expertise needed to develop and deploy flexible and creative investment solutions, while managing risk, in today’s dynamic market. We welcome our new team members and congratulate our longtenured senior executives on their well-deserved promotions.”
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Beeston, who worked both directly for FSG as the head of the sports management team, and also at Red Sox, was involved at NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins. There, he acted as alternate president of the franchise, taking on day-to-day oversight.
Last year Beeston was called to speak publicly after the Penguins found themselves without a general manager, assistant general manager, or president of hockey. He will not have the same, or any, sporting impact at Clearlake, it does not appear.
However, his arrival does coincide with the news that Clearlake and Boehly will be seeking ways to effectively part ways as Chelsea owners. Both parties are interested in buying the other out and seizing more control.