Christian Purslow
Encyclopedia
Christian Mark Cecil Purslow is a British
-born businessman, co-founder of private equity
firm MidOcean Partners
, and former Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club
.
, he earned an MBA at Harvard Business School
where he was a Baker Scholar.
, he joined Credit Suisse First Boston
as head of uk Mergers and Acquisitions. He then joined Schroders
Salomon Smith Barney as head of cable, media and entertainment investment, before becoming Managing Director of DB Capital Partners
. It was while in this position, that DB Capital Partners was spun-out, in which he became managing director of new private equity firm, MidOcean Partners
.
. Three months into his tenure, a team headed by Purslow negotiated an £80 million shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank
.
On 6 October 2010, Purslow voted in favour of the sale of the club from current unpopular owners Tom Hicks
and George Gillett to the NESV group
. In response to this, Hicks requested Purslow's resignation, along with Ian Ayre's
. Hicks subsequently claimed both Ayre and Purslow had been sacked, although the matter remains at the centre of a legal dispute, with Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton
claiming Hicks did not have the authority to change the club's board. On 15 October 2010, NESV finally completed its £300m takeover of Liverpool.
Having completed his brief by finding a buyer, Purslow stepped down on October 20, 2010 after NESV assumed control of the club. He remained as a non-executive director and special adviser until February 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born businessman, co-founder of private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
firm MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and growth capital investments in middle-market companies...
, and former Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Early life
Attending Aylesbury Grammar School as a boy, he went on to graduate with a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages at Fitzwilliam College, CambridgeFitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
, he earned an MBA at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
where he was a Baker Scholar.
Career
Purslow trained as an analyst with LEK Consulting, before joining the Burton Group as executive assistant to the CEO. After becoming head of new business development for ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, he joined Credit Suisse First Boston
Credit Suisse First Boston
Credit Suisse First Boston was the former name of the banking firm Credit Suisse.-History:In 1978, Credit Suisse and First Boston Corporation formed a London-based 50-50 investment banking joint venture called the Financière Crédit Suisse-First Boston...
as head of uk Mergers and Acquisitions. He then joined Schroders
Schroders
Schroders plc is a British multinational asset management company with over 200 years of experience in the world's financial markets. The company employs 2,905 people worldwide who are operating from 32 offices in 25 different countries around Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East...
Salomon Smith Barney as head of cable, media and entertainment investment, before becoming Managing Director of DB Capital Partners
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
. It was while in this position, that DB Capital Partners was spun-out, in which he became managing director of new private equity firm, MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and growth capital investments in middle-market companies...
.
Liverpool F.C.
A season ticket holder of Liverpool, he was appointed managing director in June 2009. as a replacement for Rick ParryRick Parry
Rick Parry is the former chief executive of Liverpool Football Club, and the former head of the FA Premier League. He is currently on the board of directors at New York Cosmos .-Career:...
. Three months into his tenure, a team headed by Purslow negotiated an £80 million shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
.
On 6 October 2010, Purslow voted in favour of the sale of the club from current unpopular owners Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
and George Gillett to the NESV group
New England Sports Ventures
Fenway Sports Group is an American sports investment company. It is the parent company of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox and Premier League football club Liverpool F.C.....
. In response to this, Hicks requested Purslow's resignation, along with Ian Ayre's
Ian Ayre
Ian Ayre , is a Scouse businessman and the current Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club.-Biography:Born in the Liverpool, he was educated at Litherland High School...
. Hicks subsequently claimed both Ayre and Purslow had been sacked, although the matter remains at the centre of a legal dispute, with Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton
Martin Broughton
Sir Martin Faulkner Broughton is a British businessman who is the current chairman of British Airways and former chairman of Liverpool Football Club...
claiming Hicks did not have the authority to change the club's board. On 15 October 2010, NESV finally completed its £300m takeover of Liverpool.
Having completed his brief by finding a buyer, Purslow stepped down on October 20, 2010 after NESV assumed control of the club. He remained as a non-executive director and special adviser until February 2011.