Phillip Smith appointed CEO of Swansea City AFC Foundation
Swansea City AFC Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Phillip Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer, signalling an important step in the charity’s continued development and long-term commitment to supporting communities across Swansea and South West Wales.
Phillip joins the Foundation with more than a decade of senior leadership experience within football community organisations.
Most recently, he spent nine years as Chief Executive Officer of Northampton Town FC Community Trust, where he led significant organisational growth, expanded the charity’s reach and developed a broad portfolio of programmes across health and wellbeing, education, youth engagement, inclusion and community development.
During his time at Northampton Town, the Trust’s work gained significant national and international recognition and awards for its innovation, community impact, fan engagement and approach to sustainability.
Throughout his career, Phillip has worked closely with football clubs, governing bodies, funders, local authorities, health partners and community organisations, with a strong focus on sustainable growth, partnership working and demonstrating meaningful social impact.
In his new role, Phillip will lead the Foundation’s vision, strategy and operations, working alongside staff, trustees, Swansea City AFC and community partners to build on the charity’s existing work and ensure it continues to create opportunities and improve lives across the region.
Speaking on his appointment, Phillip said: “I’m incredibly proud to be joining Swansea City AFC Foundation and excited about the opportunity to help shape the next stage of its development.
“Having grown up in West Wales, this appointment also means a great deal to me personally. To have the opportunity to return to this part of the country, and use the experience I’ve gained throughout my career to contribute to the communities I grew up in, is incredibly special.
“The Foundation already has a strong reputation for delivering programmes that make a genuine difference to people’s lives. My immediate priority is to get to know the team, our partners and the communities we serve, and to understand how we can build on those strong foundations.
“I’m really looking forward to working with everyone across the Foundation and the wider club to create even more opportunities for people across Swansea and South West Wales.”
David Jones, Interim Chair of Trustees at Swansea City AFC Foundation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Phillip to Swansea City AFC Foundation as our new Chief Executive Officer.
“Phillip brings a wealth of experience from across the football community sector, including nine years leading Northampton Town FC Community Trust. His track record of developing organisations, building strong partnerships and delivering meaningful community impact made him an excellent fit for the Foundation.
“The national and international recognition achieved during his time at Northampton also reflects the ambition, innovation and impact he has helped to drive throughout his career.
“This is an exciting time for the organisation, and we believe Phillip’s experience, leadership and understanding of the sector will help us build on the strong work already being delivered by our staff and partners.
“His personal connection to West Wales is also particularly fitting, and we look forward to working with him as we continue to develop the Foundation and increase our impact across the communities we serve.”
Phillip has taken up his position and will spend his first weeks meeting staff, trustees, partners and community stakeholders, as well as visiting programmes across the Foundation’s delivery areas.
To find out more about the work of Swansea City AFC Foundation, explore its programmes or discover opportunities to work in partnership with the Foundation, visit: www.swanseacity.com/foundation.