How he joined Wrexham
Harvey was brought into the Wrexham project by new co‑owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. He began working for the owners as an adviser in February 2021, first in a short‑term/consultancy capacity and then as a longer‑term strategic adviser to the board. The club confirmed his appointment as a director on 19 December 2023.
What he does now
Harvey serves as a non‑executive director and senior adviser to the co‑chairmen. His remit is largely strategic and commercial rather than day‑to‑day management: advising on football operations, stadium and commercial development, and helping translate the owners’ ambitions into practical plans. Operational control remains with the club’s CEO and executive team; owners and colleagues have credited Harvey as a steadying, experienced influence during Wrexham’s rapid rise.
Background and career highlights
Harvey’s career spans club and governing‑body roles. Early on he worked as managing director at Bradford City and later served as chief executive at Leeds United.
He was elected to the Football League board in 2011 and was appointed chief executive of the English Football League (EFL) on 29 July 2013, a post he held until announcing his departure in February 2019 (leaving at the end of the 2018–19 season).
At the EFL he led commercial initiatives including a major domestic TV deal; his tenure was high‑profile and attracted scrutiny over issues such as severance payments, commercial arrangements and concerns about the financial health of some clubs.
Public profile and recent activity
Harvey has been a visible figure during Wrexham’s successive promotion campaigns and appears regularly in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, which has raised his public profile among supporters and a wider audience. He has publicly emphasized balancing the club’s global growth with its local roots.
Why his role matters — and the open questions
What Harvey brings to Wrexham is governance and commercial experience at both club and league level, plus a network and familiarity with the commercial side of modern football.
As a non‑executive director his influence is strategic rather than operational: the test of his impact will be whether those plans are translated into sustainable commercial growth, stadium and infrastructure development, and prudent football operations.
His past high‑profile role at the EFL means his involvement also attracts public scrutiny; how that plays out will depend on transparency around decisions and the measurable outcomes for the club over the coming seasons.