As the dust begins to settle on the announcement of Ben Kensell’s departure, we would like to emphasise the positives of his tenure.
As a Trust our involvement with him was initially minimal during his first three years at the Club, but he came to the fore after the departure of Jez Moxey, whose thankfully brief period as Chief Executive was disastrous for relations between the Club and its fans.
With the implementation of the new Executive Board top instead of a single figurehead Ben acceded to a more prominent role and his sterling efforts in bringing the Club closer to its fans and fan groups will be a lasting testimony to his work at Carrow Road.
Having had the good fortune to deal with Ben on a regular basis on a wide range of issues we can say that he was always forthright and honest, and while we inevitably disagreed on occasions the relationship between us was always polite and respectful.
He was also always prepared to accept responsibility for, and take prompt remedial action over, unpopular decisions such as the BK8 sponsorship and the membership scheme.
With that in mind, we were appalled by the personal abuse that was aimed at him on social media over the BK8 deal, not least because of the effect on his wife and young family.
However, such issues shouldn’t be allowed to obscure Ben’s incredible achievements in taking the Club’s overall sponsorship income to new levels and while there will be some who scorn the plethora of smaller deals, they are essential to a self-funding club where every drop of income counts.
Consequently, Ben leaves the Club in an infinitely stronger financial position than when he arrived, and the new Official Supporters Panel will act as a lasting reminder of his desire to improve dialogue between the Club and its fans.
He will be greatly missed by all of us, but we have no doubt that he will continue to excel in whatever new role he chooses in the next stage of his career.