Joe Palmer has been appointed as our new chief executive.
Boasting considerable EFL experience from his time as chief operating officer at Sheffield Wednesday and chief executive at AFC Wimbledon, Palmer is also highly regarded following his time at Shakhtar Donetsk where, as their executive director of strategy, commerce and marketing, he played a pivotal role in the Ukrainian club’s dramatic growth during its exciting Champions League era.
Our owners, Chris and Alex Reedtz, said: “Joe impressed us during an extremely thorough recruitment process, demonstrating a wealth of leadership experience from his many years in football.
“We’re confident he will be a great fit for the role and will do a fantastic job leading and supporting our administrative team, who have guided the club brilliantly in the wake of Jason Turner’s tragic passing and our promotion back to the EFL.
“Joe is someone we believe can help the club reach it’s huge commercial potential and we’re excited to work with him.”
Palmer, who commences his role on 7 August, added: “Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous foundations laid by my predecessor, Jason, at Meadow Lane.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t know Jason personally but I have huge respect for the work he did and the reputation he developed not only at Notts, but everywhere he worked.
“The response of the football community to the shocking news of his passing showed how highly regarded he was and I’m very much looking forward to meeting his family at the Grimsby match, when the Meadow Lane boardroom will be officially renamed in his memory.
“I’m extremely grateful to Chris and Alex for selecting me as the man to fill the huge void left by Jason.
“Notts County is one of English football’s greatest treasures. It’s a brilliant club and I’m categorically invested in the way the owners want to move it forward. Their data-driven, analytical and pragmatic approach is, I believe, a recipe for success and we have already begun to see that in action with the club’s long-awaited return to the EFL.
“For Chris and Alex to be implementing such methods at this level of football is incredibly exciting, and for me to have autonomy to run the business aligned to our shared ambitions and principles is perfect.
“As chief executive it’s my job to ensure that everyone - management, players, staff and key stakeholders around Nottingham - is clear on the club’s vision, ambition and strategy.
“While my primary focus will be on the club’s business operations, I will also support the football department as part of a collective effort to take Notts forward on and off the pitch.
“The club has already set the tone in its strategy for meeting its football ambitions by taking an intelligent and thought-leading approach to recruitment and performance. I see my role as being a catalyst for taking the same approach off the pitch, ensuring business operations match that level and ambition.
“Sustainability is a key word in football at the moment and one I'm sure Notts fans are pleased to hear, given the difficult times this club has previously faced. But in order to achieve that without sacrificing performance, the club needs to optimise its assets and opportunities.
“As the person who will ultimately be responsible for the club’s profit and loss, I’m confident about what can be achieved. There’s work to do but it’s all achievable - and that’s what makes this job such an exciting one.
“By returning to the EFL, the club has put itself back in the ‘shop window’. We’ve already seen a tremendous increase in season ticket sales and we expect attendances to increase as a by-product of promotion.
“But we can’t limit ourselves by focussing only on ‘traditional’ income streams such as ticketing and hospitality. As we’ve seen with their considerable investment in recent projects such as Nottingham Padel Centre and the club’s state-of-the-art PA system, Chris and Alex are very open to innovative ideas which open new revenue streams.
“In keeping with that, we need to be on the leading edge of what’s happening in terms of marketing opportunities, new products and infrastructure. I believe my time spent in senior roles at Champions League level and in all divisions of the EFL have provided me with a spectrum of knowledge and experience which can help us do just that.
“During my time at Shakhtar my work was recognised by UEFA and I was asked to support its education programme, which saw me visit clubs and federations across Europe to advise them on how they can increase attendances, deliver successful ticketing campaigns and develop sponsorship income.
“More recently, I led AFC Wimbledon’s return to Plough Lane. Building a new stadium during Covid without sustaining big losses was a huge challenge and one I was very proud to overcome. That project has left a lasting legacy for Dons fans to enjoy, which gives me immense professional satisfaction.
“Looking to the future with Notts, I’m really excited for what I think will be a brilliant season. League Two is the strongest I can remember it - there are some huge clubs in the division and it’s going to be highly competitive.
“The Grimsby match is something I’m particularly looking forward to as I think it will give me a really good sense of what the club’s all about. I’m sure it will be a very emotional moment when the teams walk out for Notts’ first home game back in the EFL and it’s an occasion I can’t wait to be part of.
“I’ll also be at Sutton United for what will be another landmark moment, as well as the Carabao Cup tie against Lincoln City where I’ll see Notts supporters at Meadow Lane for the first time.
“I know the club are already working hard towards providing fans with a first-class matchday experience and, as much as I’m excited to watch Luke Williams’ team in action, I’ll inevitably be wanting to see all those matchday elements working off the pitch – watching how fans interact and move around the stadium and facilities.
“The club do a brilliant job of communicating with fans, which is so important, and one of my top early priorities will be to meet and hear from as many of them as possible to get a deeper understanding of the culture and the topics that matter most. As part of this, we’ll look to arrange a fans’ forum at the earliest opportunity.
“I look forward to providing a further update once I’ve commenced my role in just over a fortnight.”
The club would like to thank Forsyth Barnes for their assistance throughout the recruitment process.