Menno Geelen to Depart Ajax in 2027 After 16 Years

Ajax will enter a new era in 2027. The club confirmed on Friday that managing director Menno Geelen will step down on 1 April of that year, ending a 16-year association with the Amsterdam giants.

The decision came after talks with the Supervisory Board (RvC), with both sides agreeing that this season would mark the start of a managed transition at the top of the club’s hierarchy.

Geelen, who joined Ajax in 2010 and previously served as commercial director, has been one of the key figures behind the scenes during a period that brought both domestic dominance and turbulent off-field episodes. He moved into the role of managing director when the club needed a steady hand, and he stayed there through some of its most challenging moments.

“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’s website, making clear this is a planned departure rather than a sudden break.

He stressed his gratitude for “the wonderful roles” he has held and underlined that the conversations about his expiring contract started early and remained constructive throughout.

Those discussions have now crystallised into a clear plan. Ajax’s Supervisory Board will hire an external agency to lead the search for his successor, a move that underlines how critical this appointment is for the club’s long-term direction. The board expects to have a new managing director in place at the Johan Cruyff ArenA before 1 April next year, giving Ajax a defined timetable and avoiding a leadership vacuum.

For Geelen, the job is not done yet. He spoke of “so many wonderful memories” but also acknowledged “less pleasant events” across his time at the club, a nod to the highs and lows that have shaped Ajax in the last decade and a half. Even so, his focus remains fixed on the present campaign.

“For now, I think the most important thing is that this season brings success on the pitch and that the club can take further steps forward,” he said. “In any case, I will continue to do everything I can over the coming months to contribute to that.”

Inside the boardroom, his contribution is not being taken lightly. “Menno has done a great deal for the club,” said Supervisory Board chairman Lesley Bamberger. He highlighted how Geelen “helped steer the club through difficult periods when he was asked to take on the role of managing director” and praised his loyalty to Ajax throughout those years.

The message from the RvC is clear: respect for the outgoing director, but no time wasted in plotting the future. Bamberger stressed that it is now the board’s responsibility “to find a good successor who fits the club’s continued development.” That successor will not be dropped in at the deep end. Ajax has agreed with Geelen that he will remain closely involved in a “careful handover,” allowing the new managing director to settle alongside the existing board members and immediately work towards what the club describes as “a sustainable and successful future.”

Ajax have long prided themselves on planning beyond the next matchday. This decision, announced well in advance, fits that tradition. The question now is simple: who will be trusted to carry one of European football’s most distinctive clubs into its next chapter?