Michael Wilde

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Michael Wilde, aged 56 is a multi-millionaire businessman who is currently in his second spell as Chairman of Southampton Football Club. His first period as Chairman was from 30 June 2006 to February 2007 gaining his position following the resignation of Rupert Lowe, the club's previous chairman of ten years. Mr. Lowe's resignation came about through shareholder pressure financed and led by Mr. Wilde who replaced five key members of the Board. The Club were 4th in the Championship table in line for a possible promotion back to the Premiership at the time of his departure which was for personal reasons.

Following a long period of boardroom upheaval in the Club after Wilde's departure, Wilde and his earlier rival, Rupert Lowe, finally demanded an EGM to remove Chairman Leon Crouch and on the 15th May 2008, Crouch and three other Directors resigned from the board

He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has a Master of Arts in Town & Regional Planning from Sheffield University. He has authored many papers on housing issues and was a Senior Lecturer in Real Estate Economics and Town Planning at the National University of Singapore from 1978 to 1985. During his time in Singapore he also acted as an advisor to the Government's Housing Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority. He retains a significant property investment portfolio in Singapore.

He is founder and Chairman of Merlion Group Ltd (1990), a specialist provider of affordable housing and a house builder through its subsidiary Infinity Homes Ltd. He is credited with creating the shared equity form of housing tenure in 1991 which has now been adopted by Government as a key element of affordable housing policy in the UK. He also formed Merlion Housing Association, a privately funded provider of affordable housing now accepted as a key supplier of shared equity housing in many local authority areas throughout the UK.

Up to 2005, Merlion had provided homes for over 1,500 families in housing need, primarily to key workers such as nurses, teachers, and other important local authority service providers. In addition, Infinity Homes Ltd was awarded "Best Small House Builder of the Year" at the Daily Telegraph "What House?" Awards 2006.

Having been born on the Wirral in Cheshire, he attended Wirral Grammar School before going to the University of Westminster in 1973 where he obtained a first degree in Urban Estate Management before going on to do his Masters at Sheffield University. He later went on to work in estate agency, planning consultancy, and in local government before going to Singapore in 1978.

He has been a Southampton Football Club supporter since moving to Hampshire over 20 years ago and now resides in Jersey. He is currently the Club's largest single shareholder and in March 2007 he also became the main sponsor of the Jersey Football Association (JFA) being the largest sponsorship deal ever entered into in the history of the JFA. The three year six figure deal has allowed the JFA to expand its first team fixture list and is assisting in the JFA's ongoing efforts to gain recognition by UEFA. Whilst Chairman of Southampton FC, he was instrumental in establishing a formal link between the Jersey and Southampton Football Academies.

His worldwide interests are administered by his Family Office in St. Helier, Jersey, managing his investments both in the UK and abroad following his move to the island in July 2005.

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