Ajax CEO Menno Geelen announced that he’ll step down from his role in April 2027 in a statement the club released on Friday.
The 44-year-old Geelen joined the club in 2010, became commercial director in 2016, and was appointed CEO in May 2024.
Geelen will officially step down on April 1st, 2027, as Geelen and the club wanted enough time to find a suitable replacement.
“Working for Ajax has always been an honour. After more than sixteen years, it is time for me to take the next step,” Geelen said on the club website.
“I am grateful for the wonderful roles I have been able to fulfil here. The Supervisory Board and I began discussions early about my expiring contract and the future. These were constructive discussions, and we ultimately reached this decision. I have learnt a great deal here, and together we have achieved a great deal at Ajax over all these years.”
Rollercoaster years
Geelen was the CEO during some good and tough times in Amsterdam.
As commercial director, Geelen achieved big success during the club’s European successes in 2018/19. But as the club descended into crisis with Marc Overmars departing following a sexual misconduct scandal in 2022 and the appointment of Sven Mislintat as technical director, AZ CEO Alex Kroes joined the club as its new CEO in 2024, but the executive had to step down after he was accused of insider trading.
Kroes became the club’s technical director, while Geelen was promoted to CEO in May 2024. The club fought for the Eredivisie title in 2024/25, but had its worst season in recent memory in 2025/26, finishing in fifth and barely qualifying for the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
Geelen hired Jordi Cruyff as the technical director in early 2026 in what seems to be his final big act as Ajax CEO.
“There are so many wonderful memories, and of course there have also been some less pleasant events. But for now, I think it is particularly important that this season brings sporting success and that the club can take further steps forward. In any case, I will continue to do everything I can over the coming months to contribute to that,” Geelen concluded.