It was our pleasure to chat with the club's new Commercial Director a short while ago.
Read all about his background, how he met Thomas and thoughts on the future plans for our club here:
https://www.castrust.org/2020/11/exclusive-mumford-interview-when-i-walked-into-charlton-i-felt-at-home/ 
Comments
Answers the question on another thread as to who we have to thank for helping Thomas choose us over the other clubs he looked at
He came over the same as in this interview, sharp, ready to take an opportunity but seeing the long term goal, not just a quick buck.
He made the point that he's different from Thomas, who is more of a reflector while Wayne is an activist so perhaps they compliment each other.
He is, effectively, acting CEO in my eyes although TS is hands on still so maybe General Manager would be closer while Roddy is the technical director.
And he liked the museum so all good.
Excellent interview again. Well done @Weegie Addick
Wayne Mumford clearly has lots of very interesting ideas. He also now has the benefit of a supporter base who are unreservedly and enthusiastically behind the club's owner. Something of a contrast to the Duchatelet era, when we were urging sponsors and commercial partners not to support Roland's toxic regime. All that energy, commitment and drive can now be harnessed in a positive way.
I might even rejoin Valley Gold!
Couple of quotes stood out for me:
"Thomas has ambitions to reach the Premier League. Everything we’re planning now and putting together is for when we move up the leagues – that’s where my experience is. I already feel confident about what I can do with Charlton.”
"once Thomas had got the bug of Charlton he said, ‘Wayne, I’m not interested. We can build this back and, you know what, it’ll be more fun building it back."
Love it.
As far as I'm concerned @bolloxbolder, Charlton ARE back !
( Or should that be Charlton IS back ? I'll settle for both....)
His view on returning to Charlton and thinking of it as "not a League One club" reminded me of Chris Powell saying similar when he came back as manager - we were in third tier but as far as Powell was concerned - from his own experience - he believed in us as a Prem club.
Some of the global stuff is highly ambitious and some will question how achievable it is, but personally I'm happy to take the approach of "reach for the stars and you might get to the moon". And that's coming from a dyed-in-the-wool realist with @oohaahmortimer tendencies.
He mentioned the women’s team in passing there, but didn’t give much away.
This is something I’ve been wondering about since the takeover and haven’t seen much talk on it - ie do TS and WM have any plans for the women’s team as we move forward?
The Women’s Team
Thomas was due to have a meeting recently with Stephen King and Steve Adamson regarding the future of the women’s team but it was postponed when his flight was cancelled at the last minute. He thinks it would be “a smart move to bring everything together” and also sees it as an opportunity to broaden the club’s outreach.
Full article -https://www.castrust.org/2020/10/sandgaard-im-surprised-the-club-isnt-more-of-a-mess/
Upgrading the Rangies
A hugely refreshingly interview. In a time when you look at the values so evident in many facets of society there have been times I and I suspect a great many others were starting to think we had moved to a different planet.
After 40yrs in the corporate world I had seen far too many examples of unthinking self interest if not pure greed with the glitz of self promotion self aggrandisement with little substance dressed up as the next big thing. In some markets such an approach can work sometimes spectacularly but in truth so many of those business approaches all too quickly fade and die and everybody moves on. Some to keep repeating the experience again and again.
That is not what a football club is about. It has to be centred around its sense of inclusion, its community, its history and its people. If you set the right course, deliver to those core values people will come.
I recall creating a new sales team for a niche international product. It was a clever technical product with a sophisticated mainframe and software technology well ahead of its competitors. Part of the development team was a career banking professional whose appearance and style reflected every inch of a librarian based accountant.
For him selling was a foreign concept. The idea of selling product across Europe appeared completely beyond any of his or my bosses understanding off his comfort zone.
He was the archetypal English banker but he was a good man and knew the product inside out. I kept him on. Though he spoke not a word of their language the German, Dutch and Scandinavian clients loved him. He represented every inch of what they thought a British Bank should be.
Experienced professional sales colleagues were left shaking their heads.
Professional, intelligent, considered, honest, genuine, respectful, straightforward and trustworthy those core values transcended international borders.
It is why I was so appalled by the Duchatelet regime. No recognition of the community, no inclusion, no respect for our core industry values, no attempt to even understand those values, no respect for our history, no respect for our people.
It was a shallow plastic commodity based approach totally governed by self importance and self interest. Every line of communication and every decision reeked of "it is all about me".
It is the very values espoused in this interview which define all of those thousands of cries over the past years demanding "we want our club back" and the related withering contempt of the then message "you bought the wrong club".
The current values being identified could not resonate with me more.
Thank you CAST - thank you Weegie - thank you Mr Mumford. Excellent read.
I am in shock at how TS has turned the club around so quickly with his appointments and his great optimism.
Of course there are many miles yet to travel. It's clear that those bastards hollowed out our club.
We are in tier 3, subject to a salary cap, during a pandemic lockdown with no fans allowed in the ground yet there is a palpable sense that we are of the start of a really exciting journey for our club.