Thelwell has been at the club since 2008, first as academy manager, and then head of football development and recruitment, before his promotion to sporting director soon after Fosun’s takeover in 2016.
An important part of the club’s recent success, Thelwell’s promotion to the board will see him retain all current responsibilities overseeing the club’s footballing infrastructure, as well as taking on additional duties supporting the board and helping the ownership group achieve its long-term aims.
His appointment was ratified by Fosun last week and he takes on his new position immediately, joining Jeff Shi, Sky Sun, John Gough and John Bowater on the Wolves board of directors.
Executive chairman Jeff Shi said: “Kevin is a loyal and long-serving member of the team at Wolves and plays an integral role in the day-to-day operations of the football club, overseeing the medical, recruitment and analysis departments, as well as Wolves Academy.
“On top of his responsibilities as sporting director, Kevin has also been instrumental in helping to develop our new culture and values, which he has helped embed throughout the club.
“Kevin knows the club inside-out, its history and everything it stands for, and we feel his appointment to the board is a natural progression for an important member of the team.”
Thelwell said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be appointed to the board of directors, and I look forward to helping keep the club progressing at such an exciting time in its history.
"We have built an exceptional team at Compton and Molineux over the years, and thanks to the great effort and achievements of Nuno and his team, the strong leadership and investment of Fosun Group and the guidance and help from Jeff, we are seeing a period of rapid growth at Wolves.
“We are determined to continue pushing forwards and our philosophy is one of constant progress, and in my role on the board I will be helping ensure that we see that in abundance across the club.”
As is customary with all amendments to the board, this appointment is subject to Premier League approval.
