We are lucky to have Mark Noonan work for us – Hearts of Oak board chairman

Executive Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, His Royal Highness Togbe Afede XIV, believes the club is lucky to have Mark Noonan as its new Chief Executive Officer, adding that the appointment of the American is a testament to where the Board wants to position the club.

Mark David Noonan has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Hearts on a three-year mandate.

And speaking at the annual pre-season dinner party organized by the Executive Chairman of the club at his residence on Friday night, Togbe Afede XIV insists he’s astounded by the club’s appointment of the American.

“Let me be very honest with you; I still find it difficult to believe that Mark is with us because of the levels he has attained in the most powerful nation on earth, United States of America. It is a great honour that he [Mark] has done to us [by agreeing to work with us],” His Royal Highness told accraheartsofoaksc.com

“Mark, before he started running his own company was the Executive Vice President of Major League Soccer – the highest level of football in the United States. And three of them reported to the Commissioner General. So you can imagine the kind of money he would have been earning in that position and he has left to join us here. Great honour, Mark has done for us.

“He also was the Global Chief Marketing Officer of the World Surf League and he actually begun the commercialization of the sport and attracted a lot of big time sponsors to the World Surf League – world not America; not Europe: the global Chief Marketing Officer.

“And of course had served similar roles in the U.S Soccer Federation but he went beyond football and served in other positions in Basketball.

“So his experience spans Soccer, Basketball, and Surfing at the highest level. Mark, a graduate of Duke University, even more interesting – if not most interestingly – was a soccer player himself until he got injured and focused on management, commercialization and etc., so we are really very lucky to have Mark here.”

He concluded: “And the fact that the Board of a company we all belong to took that bold step to bring a man of his caliber here is a testament to where we really want to take this club.”