Kyril Louis-Dreyfus announces four new appointments to the Sunderland board as Juan Sartori returns

The club have also confirmed that Juan Sartori has rejoined the board, with the Uruguayan initially stepping down as a club director in February.

Louis-Dreyfus had already moved to strengthen his support network at the club in the immediate aftermath of his takeover, with family lawyer Igor Levin and Louis-Dreyfus Company Chief Financial Office Patrick Treuer joining the board.

They are now joined by the club's Chief Operating Officer, Steve Davison, and Simon Vumbaca.

Vumbaca is an international lawyer with extensive experience in the sporting world.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said: "I am delighted to welcome Juan, Maurice, Simon and Steve to the club’s Board of Directors.

"This is an exciting period for Sunderland AFC and these appointments represent the culmination of a detailed and thorough process to identify a board that not only respects SAFC’s rich heritage and core values, but also brings the experience, creativity and dynamism required to bring sustainable and lasting success to the club.”

Alongside Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven, Sartori retains a shareholding at the club and will now be a presence at board meetings moving forward.

Sartori has proved a controversial figure in his time at the club, with a growing political career in Uruguary standing at odds with Madrox's then regular assertions that he would be stepping up his involvement.

Speaking to a Sunderland Supporters' Collective meeting in March, Louis-Dreyfus moved to assure fans that he would be in control of club affairs.

He did add that the Madrox group would 'support the club as much as they can'.

Louis-Dreyfus said: "While I am the largest shareholder at the club, Stewart [Donald], Juan [Sartori] and Charlie [Methven] will each retain a minority shareholding in the club and will support it as much as they can. I want to assure you, I have the executive control of the club and the majority on the board.

"Since the takeover was announced we have appointed two new directors. Igor Levin, who is our family’s attorney and used to be a former director at Marseille and Patrick Treuer, who I am sure you will meet, he is our CFO of our family business. Both of them will be joining our already existing directors Tom Sloanes and David Jones.

"Moving forward we want the board to be more active and a valuable support tool for the executive management. We will have regular board meetings going forward.

Sloanes and Jones, who joined the board as non-executive directors in 2019, remain in their roles.

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