Rangers end months-long hunt for key figure as Scottish Golf candidate lands chairman role

Fraser Thornton will take over as Rangers chairman next week after the Ibrox club confirmed his appointment on Saturday morning.

Thornton, who is currently the interim chair of Scottish Golf, will take up his post on Monday - the same day as new chief executive Patrick Stewart begins his role.

Rangers have been searching for new chairman since John Bennett stood down on the grounds of ill health in September. John Gilligan has been acting as interim chairman while the hunt for Bennett’s replacement took place.

Thornton’s arrival concludes a major restructuring of Rangers behind the scenes. Since the summer, Bennett has left as chairman, while previous chief executive left for Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia at the end of May.

Rangers have confirmed that Fraser Thornton will be their new chairman. | SNS Group

There have been further changes at Ibrox, with Nils Koppen being promoted to technical director and Creag Robertson leaving as director of football operations. It was reported earlier this week that Karim Virani is to vacate his post as chief commercial officer.

A statement revealing Thornton’s appointment read: “Rangers Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Fraser Thornton as Chair. He will join the club on 16 December 2024.

“Fraser has held many senior leadership and board positions throughout his career, in both private and public companies.

“Having worked in the international drinks industry for the last 30 years, he offers a vast range of experience in stakeholder engagement; spanning political, commercial and public interest groups.

“He has extensive management experience across sales, brand marketing, strategy development and finance.

“Raised in Glasgow, Fraser graduated from the University of Stirling before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in Glasgow in 1993.

“Between 1996 and 2021, Fraser held multiple executive leadership positions in international businesses working across several regions of the world. He was a council member of the Scotch Whisky Association for 15 years until 2021.

John Gilligan has been Rangers' interim chairman. | SNS Group

“Since 2021 Fraser has held several non-executive positions and he is currently Interim Chair of Scottish Golf.”

Gilligan commented: “On behalf of the board, I’m delighted to welcome Fraser to the club as chair.

“As a lifelong supporter and season ticket holder, he has a deep knowledge of the club which together with a highly successful executive track record and an impressive range of non-executive experience makes him an excellent fit for this role.

“We look forward to welcoming him, and our CEO Patrick Stewart to their new roles, on Monday.

“My time as interim chair of our club has been a wonderful and emotional experience. My sincere thanks goes to the board for their trust in me, and for their support during this time.”