Aston Villa name Steven Hollis as chairman

Aston Villa today named Steven Hollis as their new chairman as owner Randy Lerner picked his successor after a long search.

Lerner is looking to sell the club and has appointed Hollis - whose background is in leading local businesses - to take Villa immediately forward.

The claret and blues are bottom of the Premier League and look set for relegation to the Championship, as they stand eight points from safety.

Lerner said: "That Villa can and should operate in a far more stable and on a far more successful level, both in terms of football as well as commercially, is plainly clear.

"It's similarly clear that this great club has not been on stable footing for, at least, five years.

"In May of 2015, I again reiterated my intention to sell the Club or, in the alternative, to shift to a board governance structure that begins with the appointment of a new chairman.

"He's a chairman with a proven track record for getting into the thick of troubled organisations, working with embattled executives and getting results.

"Steve has taken the last six weeks to become familiar with the deeply serious predicament in which the club has found itself and has my total support to address the issues we face.

"Regarding my future role with Villa, I expect to remain engaged with both Steve and Tom although at a somewhat further distance.

"I believe that suits the reality that I live full time in the United States and is appropriate, given Steve's need to have the room to make decisions on behalf of the board.

"In short, Villa's success is dependent in aggregate on the skills, determination and commitment of the manager, chief executive and chairman."

Chief executive Tom Fox replaced Paul Faulkner as Villa's CEO in August 2014, having previously worked at Arsenal. But, on the pitch, Villa are on a downward spiral.

Fox said: "Steve is a very strong and yet modest person who will embrace the Chairman's role in the right way and for the right reasons.

"He cares deeply about Birmingham and the West Midlands and totally understands Aston Villa's place within this local fabric.

"He also recognises that there is still much to do to address the underlying issues across the club and to build an organisation that can deliver consistent success.

"I believe Steve, based on his background and experience, will provide additional leadership to help us move quickly and decisively towards that objective. I am looking forward to working with him."

Hollis is a former chairman of high-profile accountancy firm KPMG's Midland practice and is the current vice-chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

Lerner has been determined to appoint a new chairman for the past two seasons and previously approached Sir Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England.

Hollis said: "When Randy approached me last November, chairing one of the UK's best known football clubs was not, quite frankly, on my list of possible opportunities.

"As I have got to know Randy and spent more time with Tom Fox and Remi Garde (manager) it has become increasingly clear what was needed.

"A strong board that drives the necessary discipline and leadership will be at the core of the changes that are needed to overcome the under-performance Aston Villa has experienced over the last five years.

"As we have witnessed in the Premier League this year with other clubs - money no longer buys success. Randy has consistently provided financial backing no less so than last year.

"Our future success however lies in building a winning culture that is underpinned by a commitment to continuous improvement, both on and off the pitch.

"The business of football is no different to any other business in this respect. We have the talent and great assets.

"The club needs a shake up and, with Randy's continued support, the board will look forward to working with Tom and Remi.

"We want to help drive the changes that our fans rightfully demand and that our city can be proud of."