Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell opens up on Shaun Maloney appointment, Jack Ross departure, club vision, recruitment department and more

So much has changed at Hibs since chief executive Ben Kensell’s arrival at the club in July.

A new manager has been appointed in Shaun Maloney, an academy director has been hired in Steve Kean, the recruitment department has been restructured and some key figures have exited Easter Road, not least former first-team boss Jack Ross and star player Martin Boyle, sold in January to Saudi Arabians Al-Faisaly for £3million.

Hibs are going through a period of transition, with owner Ron Gordon entrusting Kensell – formerly the chief operating officer of Norwich City – to head it all up. Speaking publicly for the first time since November, Kensell explained the appointment of Maloney, why he felt it was the right time to dismiss Ross and what he expects the club to achieve in the short and the long term.

"I'm quite a glass-half-full person so I don't see it as difficult, I see it as more kind of challenging,” Kensell responds when asked about the transitional phase Hibs have been in. “It's been a pleasure to be at the club during these periods. But it's never nice, with the amount of changes we've had.

“I think it's probably fair to say that I had a really good working relationship with Jack [Ross] and the team, and I was really proud of how David Gray and Eddie May took the team during that interim period.

“The appointment of Shaun after what was quite a robust process, away from Edinburgh, and at times quite tricky with Covid still being upon us – the first time I've ever had to conduct a process like that, sometimes virtually, sometimes in person.

"So that threw a few challenges up, but we ended up with the right candidate, and Shaun is going to lead this club – hopefully – to really good things.”

When asked about parting