Sunderland director pays emotional tribute after surprise David Bruce exit confirmed | OneFootball

David Bruce will leave his role as Sunderland’s Chief Business Officer this summer, with non-executive director Tom Burwell appointed interim CEO ahead of a permanent hire. Leo Pearlman has led tributes to Bruce’s impact on and off the pitch.

Pearlman said in a LinkedIn post that change is inevitable and necessary, but credited Bruce with helping make Sunderland a better place following Monday’s announcement. He highlighted Bruce’s decision in July 2023 to leave Major League Soccer and return to Wearside for purpose rather than profile.

He argued that Bruce helped rebuild the connection between club and city, restoring belief, pride and a shared identity. Pearlman framed progress in terms of how it feels to be a Sunderland fan today and thanked Bruce for laying foundations for the next chapter.

Pearlman, co-founder and managing partner of production company Fulwell 73, has served on the board since 2023 as a non-executive director.

Burwell is CEO of Bia Sports Group, which manages the sporting businesses of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, and steps in as interim CEO until a permanent appointment is made this summer.

Bruce’s exit is the latest stage of a wider restructure following Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League. Mike Papadimitriou became Chief Financial Officer in September of last year. In January, plans were outlined to hire a new Chief Revenue Officer after Ashley Peden’s departure, with Bia’s Scott McCubbin covering the role on an interim basis.

Source: Sunderland Echo