The Premier League will have a female president for the first time in history

The Premier League will be chaired by a woman for the first time at the start of 2023 after the 20 clubs of the English governing body unanimously elected Alison Brittain to the position today.

Brittain, 57, will take over from Peter McCormick, the Premier League's interim chairman since January following Gary Hoffman's resignation in November in the wake of the clubs' hostile reaction to the purchase of Newcastle by a Saudi Arabian investment fund.

More Premier League news:

Raheem Sterling, seven years of legacy at Manchester City

The massive amount of money Manchester City has spent since Guardiola arrived

Brittain will step down at the start of 2023 as chief executive of Whitbread, a hotel and restaurant group she joined after a career that began in banking, a sector in which she was a director on the board of Santander UK. She was also recently elected chairman of Dubnelm, a home furnishings retailer.

A soccer fan since childhood

"I have been a soccer fan since childhood and I am absolutely delighted to be elected chairman of the Premier League," Brittain confesses in the statement. "It will be a real privilege to help develop plans for the future and work with all the key stakeholders in soccer to ensure its long-term sustainability and success."

For his part, Richard Masters, CEO of the Premier League, stresses that "Alison has had a positive impact on all the organizations she has been in (...) She has an excellent track record in the business world, brings projects to life with a sensible style and is respected and appreciated in all the industries in which she has worked".