The Football Association (FA) has promoted Mark Bullingham, its chief commercial and football development officer, as its new chief executive.

Bullingham, a surprise name for the job, will replace current CEO Martin Glenn, who is stepping down at the end of the season.

Having joined the organisation in August 2016 as commercial and marketing director, Bullingham has been credited with a 25 per cent rise in annual revenue.

In a statement, FA said: "During his tenure, Bullingham has played a key role in transforming the commercial landscape of the not-for-profit governing body, with a number of high-profile and record-breaking broadcast, sponsorship, licensing and hospitality deals across The FA, St. George’s Park and Wembley Stadium.

"These include helping to grow annual FA revenue by 25 per cent, key sponsorship deals with Nike and Barclays, record-breaking domestic and international Emirates FA Cup broadcast agreements, record viewership and engagement figures on FA digital channels, the successful 2021 UEFA Women’s EURO bid and tripling Wembley Stadium concert revenue."

While the FA has focused on highlighting his commercial credentials, Bullingham himself was keen to stress an understanding of the FA's primary function – to grow and nurture the sport of football.

Bullingham said: "I’m hugely passionate about the role The FA plays in improving the English game and our positive contribution to society.

"Getting kids across the country active and learning life skills such as teamwork and communication is incredibly rewarding.

"I’m confident in the talent and determination of the workforce here and the direction we are heading together.

"However, there is still a huge amount to do; from transforming the quality of amateur pitches, to doubling the women’s and girls’ game across the country, to hosting major international tournaments, to building digital tools to help volunteers across all areas of the grassroots game.

"The to-do list is long but we know that as a team, we can deliver huge progress."