​Sunderland Women are poised to appoint James Gray as their new chief executive officer following Bay Collective’s takeover. Gray is currently the Commercial Director at the Football Association and will take up his role at Sunderland in September. In his new position, he will oversee the club’s strategic and commercial performance, work to ensure financial sustainability, and lead football operations. Gray will be reunited with former FA colleagues Kay Cossington and Anja van Ginhoven. Cossington is the chief executive of Bay Collective, which also holds a majority stake in Bay FC in the United States, while Van Ginhoven serves as the group’s director of global operations. Sunderland are aiming to compete with the world’s best, and the former England masterminds are intent on building a “superpower.” Gray has spent more than 25 years in sport, and at the FA he oversaw commercial operations within the women’s game, including the Women’s FA Cup. His career has also included roles at Barclays, Amazon, Disney, and Manchester United.
Last week, former West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner was appointed Sunderland Women’s new technical director. Skinner, 46, brings extensive experience in women’s football, having held assistant managerial roles with both England and Wales. Bay Collective completed its takeover of Sunderland’s women’s team last month, acquiring a majority stake. Sunderland finished eighth in the WSL 2 last season.