David Kogan OBE confirmed as Independent Football Regulator Chair and Non-Executives appointed
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-14)

David Kogan has been appointed for a 5 year term until 19 May 2030, including time served as Chair-designate prior to Royal Assent of the Football Governance Act. Dame Helen Stephenson and Simon Levine also appointed to the Board as Non-Executives

David Kogan OBE

David Kogan OBE has held senior positions in the television and sports industries during a 45 year career as a media executive, business leader and corporate advisor. He negotiated a succession of multi-billion pound TV rights deals on behalf of major sporting bodies, including the Premier League and the English Football League. He has also advised UEFA, The Scottish Premier League, Six Nations, Premier Rugby and the NFL. Most recently he sold the broadcast rights on behalf of the Woman’s Super League.

He is a former managing director of Reuters Television (the global television news agency), and an ex-CEO of the Magnum photo agency. He has co-founded both Reel Enterprises and the Women’s Sports Group. He is currently an advisor to the New York Times Group and CNN on their commercial, digital and AI strategies. Among his public boards David was a non-executive director at Channel 4, a member of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Services board from 2007-14 and Chair of Westminster Kingsway Corporation. He is the author of three books.

The appointment of Mr Kogan will mean that the work in establishing the football regulator as a legal entity can continue at pace to improve the governance and financial sustainability in the game.

An inquiry regarding this appointment led by the Commissioner for Public Appointments is ongoing. We have cooperated fully with the inquiry by the Commissioner of Public Appointments and await the report’s publication.

Today, the DCMS also announces that two non-executive directors have been appointed to the board of the Independent Football Regulator for five year terms, commencing on 8 September.

Dame Helen Stephenson

Dame Helen Stephenson is a Non-Executive Director and former Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. She joined the Commission from the Department for Education where she was Director of Early Years and Child Care. Helen previously worked in the Cabinet Office where she was Director of the Office for Civil Society and Government Innovation Group. Helen joined the Civil Service from the Big Lottery Fund where she was Head of Strategic Policy and Partnerships.

She has worked for a large national charity as a development manager and as a researcher and consultant in the statutory and voluntary sector. Helen has a PhD from Bristol University.

Helen is a Non-Executive Board member of the National Lottery Community Fund and Chair of the People Committee. She is a Board member of the ECB Regulatory Board and on the People and Governance Committee at the Royal Academy of Dance. Helen is a Non-Executive Director for North West London Acute Provider Collaborative.

Previously, Helen was on the Board of the Big Society Trust and was Chair of NCT until her appointment at the Charity Commission. Helen was awarded the CBE in 2014 and was awarded a DBE in the Birthday Honours list 2024 for services to charity and regulation.

Simon Levine

Simon Levine has been a practising lawyer in the City of London for over 35 years providing litigation and regulatory advice across a range of sectors including technology, media and sport.

Until late 2024, Simon was for a decade the managing partner and co-global chief executive officer of a global law firm. He now acts as a strategic consultant to businesses in the technology, legal and professional services sectors.

Since 2018 Simon has sat on the board of the regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students. He has also been a member of advisory boards of the Zoological Society of London, City UK, the International Development Business Exchange, and the Lord Mayor of London, and is an Ambassador for His Majesty’s King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative.

Notes to editors
- The appointment of a Chair and Non-Executive Directors of the Independent Football Regulator have been made as the result of a fair and open competition.
- The Chair of the Independent Football Regulator is remunerated at £130,000 per annum for an initial time commitment of three days per week.
- Non-Executive Directors of the Independent Football Regulator are remunerated at £20,800 per annum for a time commitment of one day a week.
Once fully operational, the running of the IFR will be funded through a levy on licensed clubs. Until this point, it will be funded by the government, with this initial funding eventually recouped through the levy.
- Under the Governance Code on Public Appointments (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578498/governance_code_on_public_appointments_16_12_2016.pdf), any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.
- Mr Kogan has declared that he has made donations to local Labour Party candidates over the last three years, as publicly disclosed on the Electoral Commission donation register. He stepped down as Chair of LabourList in 2025, an independent website covering the Labour movement.
- Mr Kogan appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. A transcript of this hearing is available here (https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/15827/pdf/), including political declarations made by Mr Kogan that are outside the scope of the Governance Code which are noted here.
- Dame Helen Stephenson and Simon Levine have declared that they have not undertaken any significant political activity.