Aston Villa part ways with chief operating officer Ben Hatton

Aston Villa have parted ways with chief operating officer Ben Hatton.

Hatton joined Villa in September 2023, having worked at Manchester United, AS Roma and, most recently, as managing director at Blackpool.

He was recruited under former president of business operations, Chris Heck, who left for LIV Golf last May. Heck appointed Hatton as part of his senior leadership team and worked together across two seasons as the club benefited from Unai Emery’s side’s on-pitch success, securing Champions League qualification for the first time.

Francesco Calvo subsequently replaced Heck, with Hatton continuing in his position during the 2025-26 campaign. However, Villa have now parted ways with Hatton.

Hatton’s remit was to oversee several functions within the club. Among those were retail, security, Villa Park operations, ticketing, concerts and Villa Park events.