Everton director Ana Dunkel is set to take up a role as Chief Financial Officer at Roma, according to reports in Italy.
Dunkel held the same role at the Friedkin Group after previously holding a senior position at financial services firm JP Morgan. Her relationship with JP Morgan helped Everton secure a loan from the firm to replace their existing high interest loans to less reputable lenders.
There is no indication Dunkel will give up her directorship at Everton and will likely fulfil both roles alongside each other. She will replace the outgoing Anna Rabuano, who has left the club after Roma struggled to meet Financial Fair Play obligations over the past few years.
Roma, like Everton, have a gap at boardroom level after former CEO Lina Souloukou resigned her position amid fierce fan protests late last year. Souloukou was the lightning rod for criticism over the sacking of club legend Danielle De Rossi after a poor run of form, which sparked major protests against the Friedkin Group.
Having already lost Director of Football Tiago Pinto, it has left Roma scrabbling to fill positions. Florent Ghisolfi, recruited in the summer, has been operating without a senior board above him as he supports manager Claudio Ranieri at the Rome side.
Roma are currently recruiting a CEO and they will join Dunkel and Friedkin Group right hand man Ed Shipley in a new boardroom team at the club.
It means Everton will be seeking a Chief Financial Officer for their own boardroom. The club is reportedly closing in on Angus Kinnear of Leeds as the new CEO, while interim CEO Colin Chong could remain at the club in some capacity. However, Chong is a construction and planning expert and would not be able to fulfil the CFO role at Everton.
Everton’s senior team current has just two directors; Dunkel and legal expert Marcus Watts. With Dunkel set to begin work at Roma the club’s shopping list will now include a new CEO, a financial expert and potentially a new sporting director if the club does not renew Kevin Thelwell’s contract.