(Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion have appointed Chinese club director Li Piyue as their new chairman following their relegation from the Premier League, the club said on Tuesday.
Li's elevation to the role is part of West Brom's plans to ensure a "closer working relationship" with their controlling shareholder, Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai, as they prepare for life in the second-tier Championship.
"In other changes to the club's senior administration, chief executive Mark Jenkins has stepped down from his temporary role as a director of Albion's parent company, West Bromwich Albion Holdings Ltd," West Brom said in a statement https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2018/may/club-statement-albion-confirm-new-chairman.
West Brom, who have been owned by Lai's Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Ltd since 2016, sacked chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman after a string of poor results last season.
The club also parted company with managers Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew during a dismal campaign, and were relegated despite a marked improvement under caretaker boss Darren Moore towards the end of the season.
Moore was subsequently appointed as the new head coach last week.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)