Chelsea have announced the appointment of Guy Laurence as chief executive.
The Blues have been operating without a chief executive since Ron Gourlay's departure in October 2014.
Gourlay had succeeded Peter Kenyon in the role, following the former Manchester United chief executive's departure in 2009.
Laurence will begin his role in February and report to the board, comprising chairman Bruce Buck and directors Marina Granovskaia and Eugene Tenenbaum, all key confidants of owner Roman Abramovich.
Laurence will 'take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the club, including the continuing development of our commercial activities in the UK and around the world, focusing on increasing club revenues', Chelsea said.