Former Mastercard executive James Taylor takes on CFO role at Championship side West Ham United
James Taylor has been appointed Chief Financial Officer by West Ham United, an English football club based in Stratford, East London, which will compete in the EFL Championship in the 2026–27 season following relegation from the Premier League.
In a LinkedIn post, Taylor, who joins from Scottish football club Rangers, where he held the same role, and whose CV also includes a stint at Mastercard, said: “The size of the club and the passion of our supporters continues to impress. I’m determined to play my part in returning this club to where it belongs.”
He added: “It’s also great to be working with Nils Koppen (Director of Recruitment) and Karim Virani (Interim CEO) again. I know the standards both set and how they operate when the pressure is on, and that was a significant part of the decision. Before this, three years at Rangers. I’m proud of the improvements made both on and off the pitch during my time at Ibrox. There is a serious amount of work ahead and a strong group to do it with. I’m looking forward to working closely with the board and with colleagues across the club. Come on you Irons.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Hospitality technology will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
