Debbie Hewitt
{{Short description|British businesswoman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use British English|date= June 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Debbie Hewitt
| honorific_suffix = MBE
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|08|31|df=y}}{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |date=2023-04-05 |title=Debbie Hewitt |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0280-17b450e2569b-6b299b42f012-1000--debbie-hewitt/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=UEFA |language=en}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = British
| education = University of Bath
| occupation = Businesswoman
| title = Chairwoman The Football Association (FA)
| term = January 2022–
| predecessor =
| successor =
| boards =
| spouse = Paul Hewitt
| children = 2
}}
Alison Deborah Moira Hewitt {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born 31 August 1963) is a British businesswoman and sports administrator. She was appointed as chair of the Football Association in June 2021, taking up the role in January 2022. Hewitt is the first woman to hold the post.{{cite web|last=MacInnes|first=Paul|last2=Davies|first2=Rob|date=2021-06-08|title=Debbie Hewitt to become FA’s first chairwoman in its 157-year history|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/08/debbie-hewitt-to-become-first-fa-chairwoman-in-its-157-year-history|url-status=live|access-date=8 June 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608085443/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/08/debbie-hewitt-to-become-first-fa-chairwoman-in-its-157-year-history |archive-date=8 June 2021 }} Hewitt was previously chairwoman of The Restaurant Group.{{cite web |title=FA names corporate boss Debbie Hewitt as first woman chair |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/fa-names-debbie-hewitt-first-chairwoman-2021-06-08/ |website=Reuters |access-date=8 June 2021 |date=2021-06-08}}
Early life
Alison Deborah Moira Hewitt{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/member-associations/england |title=The Football Association |publisher=FIFA |access-date=1 December 2022}} was born on 31 August 1963{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/nationalassociations/eng/ |title=English Football Association: Overview |publisher=UEFA |access-date=1 December 2022}} and grew up in Nottinghamshire.{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Liam|date=2019-07-07|title=How we MBAed it: Patrick Grant of Norton & Sons, Julia Groves of Downing and Debbie Hewitt of The Restaurant Group|language=en|work=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/how-we-mbaed-it-patrick-grant-of-norton-sons-julia-groves-of-downing-and-debbie-hewitt-of-the-restaurant-group-5rl8ssxt7|url-access=subscription|access-date=2021-06-08|issn=0140-0460}} While studying for her A-levels, her mother died. Her grandfather, Dr Vivian Brackstone, received an MBE for saving the lives of his fellow prisoners-of-war in a Japanese prison camp.
Career
Hewitt did not initially go to university, and began her career on a Marks & Spencer management training scheme.{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Will |title=Role model businesswoman Debbie smashes through glass ceiling to be made MBE |url=https://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/news/local-news/role-model-businesswoman-debbie-smashes-5610782 |access-date=8 June 2021 |work=Crewe Chronicle |date=6 August 2013}} She later joined Lex where she managed a Volvo dealership in Bristol; Lex sponsored her MBA from the University of Bath, which she completed part-time from 1992 to 1995. She was chief executive officer of the RAC (which was part of the Lex group) from 2006 until 2008.
Since 2018, Hewitt has been the non-executive chairman of BGL Group.{{cite web |title=Debbie Hewitt |url=https://www.bglgroup.co.uk/about-us/bgl-board/debbie-hewitt |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=9 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609141909/https://www.bglgroup.co.uk/about-us/bgl-board/debbie-hewitt |url-status=dead }} She is also non-executive chair of Visa Europe and White Stuff. In the 2011 New Year Honours, Hewitt was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to business and to the public sector."United Kingdom: {{London Gazette|issue=59647|date=31 December 2010|pages=17|supp=1}}
In 2021, she was voted in by a unanimous decision of the seven-member selection panel to become the first chairwoman of the FA, following the resignation of Greg Clarke in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Agini|first=Samuel|date=2021-06-08|title=Debbie Hewitt to become first female chair of England’s FA|url=https://www.ft.com/content/9daeed47-6431-43a7-8a32-5991d49a62bf|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Financial Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608074623/https://www.ft.com/content/9daeed47-6431-43a7-8a32-5991d49a62bf |archive-date=8 June 2021 }} The FA Council ratified the decision in its 22 July 2021 meeting. She announced that she would step down as chair of the Restaurant Group at the end of 2021.
Personal life
Hewitt is married to Paul Hewitt, former finance director at the RAC,{{Cite news|last=Waller|first=Martin|date=27 August 2003|title=The RAC|work=The Times}} and they have twins.{{cite web |title=Debbie Hewitt |url=https://live.retail-week.com/speakers/debbie-hewitt |website=Retail Week |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202190316/https://live.retail-week.com/speakers/debbie-hewitt |url-status=dead }} She is a life-long Liverpool fan and lives in Cheshire.{{Cite news|last=Lawton|first=Matt|last2=Ziegler|first2=Martyn|date=2021-06-08|title=Debbie Hewitt appointed first chairwoman of Football Association|language=en|work=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/debbie-hewitt-appointed-first-chairwoman-of-football-association-tlk8b5b63|url-access=subscription|access-date=2021-06-08|issn=0140-0460}} She is a parish councillor on the Hough and Chorlton Parish Council.{{Cite web|title=Councillors – Hough and Chorlton Parish Council|url=https://www.houghandchorlton-pc.gov.uk/index.php/councillors/|access-date=2021-06-08|language=en-GB}}