The new married head of the Premier League has been accused of sending inappropriate messages to a former colleague.
David Pemsel, 51, was appointed as chief executive of the Premier League in October this year but will properly begin the role in the New Year.
It was claimed last night Mr Pemsel, the former chief executive of The Guardian, bombarded a former female colleague with messages, including one saying ‘You’re staggeringly sexy.’
The married father-of-three knew the woman from his former role at the newspaper, The Sun reported.
David Pemsel, 51, pictured, was appointed as chief executive of the Premier League in October this year but will properly begin the role in the New Year
It was claimed last night Mr Pemsel, bombarded a former female colleague with messages
Days after being appointed as chief executive of the Premier League, he wrote to the woman and said: ‘I suggest we kiss and see what happens’.
The unnamed woman quickly rebuffed the suggestion and said: ‘I suggest this is a bad idea.’
However he then continued to message her, and added: ‘I suggest it’s an excellent opportunity. So if I wasn’t married what would be happening?’
Mr Pemsel is married to Kate Stanners, the global chief creative officer of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
Although it is unclear how the messages emerged, some were reportedly sent by Mr Pemsel as recently as last week.
In one recent message, Mr Pemsel told her: ‘I’m struggling with the friend thing, when I see your pic in a blue dress. Discuss!
‘You do realise you are staggeringly sexy… sorry it has to be said!
Mr Pemsel is married to Kate Stanners, the global chief creative officer of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi
‘Well for discussion, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to do the friend thing (though I love your company) when I’m interested in seeing you in a hot dress or observing your tattoos more fully. Sorry… It’s just the facts.’
He knew the woman in question for a short period of time while she worked at The Guardian, but she left her position more than five years ago, The Sun reported.
It was only after Mr Pemsel then followed her on Instagram that she approached him to ask for help with her career.
Mr Pemsel was due to take over from former chief executive Richard Scudamore, who was himself embroiled in a scandal over sexist messages in 2014
One of the woman’s friends told The Sun: ‘She was quite clear in saying she wasn’t interested in him in that way because he is a married man. He obviously has friends in high places so she wanted to remain in touch.
‘He was always complimentary about her in a work capacity so she expected him to want to help her as a former employee.
‘But he has now been bombarding her with his advances and she just doesn’t think it is on. He has a wife. He said he would never leave her. But he has told (the woman) he will show her a great time and take her to amazing places.
‘And he is always hinting about buying her things. How many times does she need to say no?
‘Now he is going into this new job with the Premier League, it is better he knows he can’t act the way he has been doing with this woman.’
The Sun said the woman confirmed she knew Mr Pemsel from her time at The Guardian but did not comment further.
Mr Pemsel is due to take over from former chief executive Richard Scudamore, who announced his departure last year.
In 2014, he was exposed as having sent sexist emails in which he called women ‘broads’ and made sexist jokes about ‘female irrationality’.
He kept his job despite then-Prime Minister David Cameron joining a chorus of voices condemning his comments.
Before taking the helm of The Guardian Media Group in 2015, Mr Pemsel worked as Group Marketing Director at ITV and has also worked with Channel 4, Disney and Discovery.
His appointment was unanimously approved at a Premier League shareholders meeting earlier this year.
The Premier League has declined to comment.
How the Premier League struggled to find someone for ‘the biggest role in football’
The allegations around David Pemsel today will give another headache to those in charge of the Premier League, following a stop-start recruitment process to find a new chief executive.
Former boss Richard Scudamore announced he was stepping down from his Premier League post in June last year after 20 years in charge.
He had himself faced calls to resign over sexist comments in emails which emerged in 2014.
Discovery executive Susanna Dinnage initially accepted the job and then turned it down weeks before she was due to start.
Media bosses Susanna Dinnage and Tim Davie both turned down the role at the Premier League after former head Richard Scudamore announced he was leaving the role
Then BBC Studios boss Tim Davie turned down an offer at the start of the year.
Mr Pemsel was appointed in October and is due to take the reins in early 2020 as the league prepares for the next multi-billion pound TV rights deal.
In 2015, the Premier League launched its Equality Standard which encouraged top football clubs to ‘progress equality across all areas of their business’.
When announcing Mr Pemsel’s appointment last month, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: ‘His straightforward style and personal integrity make him an ideal person to lead the business.
‘In addition, he has worked with the big players in digital and media and has managed diverse groups and constituencies.’
The league will now have to decide whether the revelations about Pemsel impact on its decision to appoint him.
