Brighton and Hove Albion has appointed Peter Godfrey, former President of American Express' Global Network Services (GNS) division, to the club's board of directors.

Seagulls supporter Mr Godfrey retired from his role at American Express at the end of June, where he was responsible for forging and developing new partnerships with leading banks and financial institutions from around the world as part of the company's global growth strategy.

Before joining American Express, which has signed a ten year deal with the club worth £4.5 million, Mr Godfrey held senior positions at HSBC. He remains a senior adviser to American Express but joins the club with immediate effect.

Chairman Tony Bloom said: “I would like to officially welcome Peter to the club's board of directors.

“He has a wealth of experience gained from a prestigious and highly successful career with American Express, where he is well known for his acute business acumen and strong leadership skills.”

Mr Godfrey said: “It is a huge privilege to be invited to join the board of a football club which is clearly on the up and one that I have actively followed for a number of years.

“The board's ambition is for the club to be the best both on the pitch and in everything we do off the pitch and I am delighted to be part of a team who will aspire to achieve this.”