New Blues CEO Mark Ashton begins his job at Town today.

The 49-year-old, whose five-year spell in the same role at Bristol City ended over the weekend, is holding a meeting with all club staff this morning prior to a Portman Road press conference which TWTD will be attending with stories available on the site early this afternoon.

TWTD revealed that Ashton was the man the new Blues owners wanted to be their CEO back in February with his appointment confirmed in April.

Ashton became chief operating officer with the Robins in January 2016 then in July 2017 was named chief executive officer, having previously worked with the Robins as a consultant helping to establish their talent identification and recruitment system.

Named Championship CEO of the Year in 2019, Ashton was credited with wily transfer dealings which saw the Robins net significant profits in the player trading market, while Ashton Gate and the club’s training infrastructure have also been transformed during his time with the club.

However, the appointment of Dean Holden as manager last summer, 2020/21’s transfer business and a failure to make a serious challenge for promotion to the Premier League despite owner Steve Lansdown’s very significant fortune have led to fan criticism.

A former youth goalkeeper with West Brom, Ashton was on the Baggies’ board from 1990 to 2014. In June 2004 he was appointed chief executive of Watford and he spent four and a half years with the Hornets before a four-month spell at Wycombe Wanderers in the same role in 2009.

Five years as chairman with Worcestershire-based consumer services company Grove Life followed before he and new Blues chairman O’Leary were part of a consortium which took charge at Oxford United. Ashton subsequently spent a year and a half as CEO at the Kassam Stadium.

Since May 2010 he has been the chairman of Tactical Change, which is described as an “international sports management company specialising in football management; particularly the business of football. Providing cutting edge solutions to the football industry, from player trading and recruitment to innovative commercial models that drive revenues and profitability”.

As previously reported, Robins head of operations/club secretary Luke Werhun has also been ear-marked for a role at Portman Road working under Ashton.

Photo: ITFC

aas1010 added 09:39 - Jun 1 Hopefully signings now👍
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Guthrum added 09:40 - Jun 1 Good. A full-time, football-experienced Chief Executive is finally in place at Portman Road, with the promise of having actual authority to make strategic decisions. With the best will in the world and not necessarily through any fault of their own, other recent holders of that title (or Managing Director) have lacked in one or more of those areas. Or had too many other jobs loaded onto them in addition.

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I_AM_GOD added 09:47 - Jun 1 From the story - "A former youth goalkeeper with West Brom, Ashton was on the Baggies' board from 1990 to 2014. In June 2004 he was appointed chief executive of Watford and he spent four and a half years with the Hornets before a four-month spell at Wycombe Wanderers in the same role in 2009." Can he serve on the board of one club while CEO at another?
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Ipswichbusiness added 09:50 - Jun 1 What is O'Neill's role? He seems to have gone very quiet, is he still at the Club?
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Suffolkboy added 10:10 - Jun 1 WHAT DOES the future hold ? It looks like a merry go round of folk who've previously worked together for periods ,now getting together at ITFC . Proper structure and strategy can improve the prospects for any business ,but we must hope the fortune , heart and soul of ITFC are well appreciated and protected as part of this project ! COYB
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herfie added 11:41 - Jun 1 Certainly there's increasingly more appearing in the Town's ‘credit' column, in terms of an experienced and - hopefully - effective back-room structure. Essential to underpin those key elements needed to achieve success. As ever, and as cliched as it is - time wil be the final arbiter. But surely we should all be positive and believe that, this time, the cards will fall in our favour. Let's face it, that's long overdue! COYB!!

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oldshuck added 11:43 - Jun 1 Did he really join the board of West Brom in 1990? When he was 19??
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Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 12:00 - Jun 1 I think there's an issue with a few dates in this story.
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ArnieM added 12:18 - Jun 1 What is clear to me from the Ashton interview , is everyone at this Club is fully aware of their and understands their individual rolls and of the target in mind. Getting out of this league asap. The players coming in are being specific targeted to achieve that task , and gone are the days of Town being used for a development project for other Clubs players : about bloody time. These owners mean business, and anyone who comes up short in their role will be gone. There's a clear "team" amongst the backroom staff, no stragglers, no hangers on, many knowing one another from previous jobs. Which means this Club hits the ground running, and when the players start coming in , they too will know their roles and will be in for a helluva pre season . BRING IT ON : COYB's

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oldelsworthyfan added 12:35 - Jun 1 Starting at the top first is the right way to go about things. Now for some players. It would be good to have a couple of key signings who will encourage others to appreciate that this club is now heading for the Championship and then the Premiership.
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BlueSwede added 13:01 - Jun 1 Wonder if he has some of the released Bristol City-players with him.
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Dog added 13:12 - Jun 1 I am more interested in how Cook is going to accept the scientific data approach to transfers announced on 01 April, rather than Cook's preference to signing a ragtag bag of journeymen who have played for him at other clubs (if you believe the transfer rumours). going to be interesting.
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istanblue added 13:20 - Jun 1 Something that should've happened 13 years ago. Fake CEOs like Milne and Clegg were nothing more than Evans' puppets who knew fcuk all about football.
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Bluearmy_81 added 13:47 - Jun 1 I'm really excited about the future of ITFC. The new owners have a vision and are putting all the foundations in place for Ipswich to achieve and succeed again after the last 13 painful years of underachievement and failure.
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atty added 14:32 - Jun 1 After years of a majority shareholder( not a Chairman, Director or employee) micro-managing the Ckub from afar, with just one frontman/mouthpiece in situ(Clegg, Milne, O'Nwill) and two directors we never saw, we are building a proper senior management team.A Chairman, CEO, and COO. A sporting director would be good. Other coaching appointments and sports science/ medical. That leaves an assistant manager. Perhaps the Club could advertise the post, rather than rely on Cooks phone contacts. Phil Brown at Southend, yes National League Southend is saying he's amazed by the quantity and quality of the applicants for the job there!

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