The Earthquakes "continued to pivot toward European soccer" with the hiring of former Aston Villa CEO Tom Fox to replace President Dave Kaval, who "now will focus all of his energy" on the A's, according to Elliott Almond of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Fox will be introduced on Tuesday, the latest front-office change that signals co-Owners John Fisher and Lew Wolff are "committed to the long-term health of the team" as MLS "becomes increasingly more aggressive in signing top foreign players." The change "comes a half a year after Kaval was promoted to run the A’s with a charge to build a new ballpark in Oakland." Kaval "continued to serve as Quakes president, a title he had held" since '10. Almond notes Fox' hiring "could change the Earthquakes’ landscape as they head into the summer stretch of the season with hopes of ending a four-year playoff drought." Fox resigned from Aston Villa last year "because of the team’s poor performance." Kaval, who will "remain a Quakes board member, interviewed about a half-dozen candidates for the job." The team used London-based executive search firm Nolan Partners to assist with the process. Fox "had a relationship" with Nolan Group Managing Dir Paul Nolan. Fox had previous stints with Gatorade and EPL club Arsenal before leading Aston Villa (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/1). In San Jose, Jody Meacham noted Kaval's complete move to the A’s is "not a surprise" The task for the Earthquakes is "building a stronger team to keep its 3-year-old gem of a stadium filled." For the A's, Kaval's top priority is building a new ballpark that "will reinvigorate" the club's fan base and "drive new revenue" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/31).
