COVENTRY City has strengthened its board with the appointment of two new directors.
Banking and finance specialists Tim Fisher and Mark Labovitch have joined the seven-strong board.
Fisher, who has been advising the club for several months, is a former investment banker and the current chairman of Calimere Point, a group of companies offering financial advisory services
The group provides merger and acquisition advisory, financial re-structuring and financial engineering solutions to a financial institution and corporate client base.
Their client base includes some of the largest investment banks and asset managers in the world. Calimere has provided support across numerous sectors and regions, and clients in the leisure sector have included football clubs in the UK and Europe.
Fisher has worked in financial markets for more than 15 years and prior to establishing Calimere Point, which has offices in London and Chennai, he held a series of senior posts in investment banks.
Labovitch is currently CEO-designate of GEMS Ventures, a division of GEMS, a Dubai-based group which is the world's largest private-sector school-age education provider.
He spent 20 years in investment banking in London, New York and Frankfurt, focused on the media, entertainment and sports sector and advised a number of leading US and European media companies, including broadcasters and rights distributors connected with football.
He served as a director at Independent News & Media, the international media group which published numerous newspaper titles around the world, including The Independent in the UK and - through its associate company Jagran Prakashan - Dainik Jagran, the largest daily newspaper in India.
Labovitch has Coventry roots - his grandfather owned a retail business in the city from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Chairman Ken Dulieu said the two new directors would bring massive financial expertise and contacts to the board.
"These are two very important appointments for the future of Coventry City," he said.
"Tim and Mark both have a wealth of experience in business and finance, and both have worked with sport and leisure companies.
"It is no secret that we are talking to investors and want to attract funding to the club. That will be one key role for Tim and Mark.
"I have said since I took over that I want to build the team on and off the field with the long-term aim of success and stability.
"We have a very strong board with a wide range of talent and expertise, and Tim and Mark only add to that."
