Arsenal creates chief revenue officer role as Shaikh steps up after Slot exit

Arsenal have promoted Omar Shaikh to become their first chief revenue officer, handing him responsibility for a broader range of revenue-generating functions as part of a wider commercial leadership transition.Shaikh will join Arsenal’s executive team and oversee partnerships, ventures, commercial venue operations and retail, significantly expanding the role he has held since joining the club in 2023.The club said: “In his new role, Omar will help drive revenue growth that supports our ambition to win major trophies, while keeping supporters at the heart of everything we do.”The appointment follows the departure of chief commercial officer Juliet Slot, who stepped down after almost five years with Arsenal and a period of significant commercial growth.Slot joined in 2021 and oversaw the expansion of Arsenal’s sponsorship portfolio, retail operation and wider commercial business, including major renewals with adidas and Emirates.Commercial revenue increased from £136.4m in 2021 to £263.2m in 2025 during her tenure, while Arsenal recorded total revenue of £691m in their most recently published accounts.Her departure creates a natural transition point for Arsenal’s commercial structure, with Shaikh’s new title placing a more explicit focus on revenue growth across multiple business units rather than partnerships alone.Shaikh initially led growth of the club’s partnerships portfolio before taking responsibility for wider partnerships and ventures operations in 2024.The inclusion of ventures, retail and venue activity within his new remit gives him oversight of both established revenue streams and newer commercial opportunities around Arsenal’s brand and Emirates Stadium.His promotion also comes as Arsenal review parts of their cost base with management consultancy BCG, primarily focused on non-football operations.There is no certainty that the review will result in job losses, but the parallel processes underline the pressure on leading clubs to increase commercial income while maintaining control over operating expenditure.That dynamic has become more important under tighter financial regulations, where higher sustainable revenues can create additional capacity for investment in the playing squad and infrastructure.Shaikh’s elevation therefore represents more than a title change. It places responsibility for Arsenal’s next phase of commercial growth under a single senior executive at a time when the club are simultaneously restructuring leadership and examining operating efficiency.