Hibernian’s late Executive Chairman, who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning (UK time) after fighting cancer for around a year simply exuded enthusiasm. More than that, he instilled it in those he met.
Enthusiasm for a cause; enthusiasm for a venture; enthusiasm for his beloved football club; enthusiasm for life. Ron never dwelt on the negative when a positive was there to be taken. “I love it!” was one of his most oft-used phrases.
It was a quality that helped drive his successes in life, and a quality he prized in others. And it is a consistent thread that has run through the flow of tributes from within Scottish football. Ron, despite his relatively recent involvement with our Club and with Scottish football, was tireless and optimistic in his desire to bring improvement and success for both.
Born in August 1954 in Peru, he was always proud of the Scottish heritage he inherited from a grandfather who emigrated to South America. Ron studied at Markham College – a British school in Lima – and it was during that time in his homeland where he developed his love for football as a player and a fan.
At the tender age of five Ron had a ball at his feet and just a year later went to his first game. Week in, week out he’d watch his beloved Universitario de Deportes or “La U” as he fondly called them.
In love with the beautiful game because of the “creativity, artistry, physical and athletic skill” as he called it, Ron was able to see some of the game’s greats, including Pelé.
Aged 15, Ron emigrated to the United States before completing his studies at Shore in Sydney, Australia, receiving a BA in International Relations with a minor in economics from Syracuse University.
Ron was still a football advocate, although that was slightly trickier in the US. His college didn’t have a ‘soccer’ field, so with typical resourcefulness and enthusiasm Ron turned his hand (or foot) to American Football and became his side’s kicker - putting his ‘soccer’ ability to good use!
His business acumen began to shine when Ron, in his twenties, joined up with some friends on a money-making exercise by filming several short vignettes on interesting people and topics. And this eventually led to his first business venture.
Fluent in Spanish, he spotted a market segment in broadcasting - the Spanish-speaking audience - that wasn’t being serviced, so with the money from selling short vignettes, he rented a TV station and converted it to Spanish. Like many entrepreneurs who succeed, he came close to failure but his enthusiasm and determination never wilted in the face of obstacles. Within six months his business was making money.
Over the next 35 years, Ron built ZGS Communications from the ground up, buying TV and radio stations to convert into Spanish.
At this point it was one of the leading independent broadcasting and media companies serving the Spanish-speaking community in the United States. His strategic thinking, market insight and entrepreneurial outlook allowed ZGS to post steady and consistent growth for over 30 years. The company became the largest independent affiliate group of the Telemundo Network, earning a reputation for operational excellence, creativity, integrity, and community engagement. In 2017, he sold ZGS to Comcast/NBC Universal.
It wasn’t just at ZGS where Ron had incredible success. In April 2009, he was named President of the Telemundo Station Group at NBC Universal – taking a break from his own company – and becoming responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of the largest Spanish television stations in the country.
Over his many years in the media industry, Ron received numerous accolades including 5 Emmy Awards, 2 Telly Awards, and a White House Media Achievement Award.
Alongside a number of other carefully planned and timed business ventures, he was also a founder and director of John Marshall Bank, one of the leading community banks serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The bank posted steady profits and growth for over 10 years with assets of over $1.4 billion and is considered one of the best managed and most innovative small business banks in the region.
He also supported numerous community-based organisations. Ron served on the board of trustees of WETA in Washington, D.C. and at the Arlington Community Foundation.
It was a lifetime of hard work that had paid off and a moment that acted as a catalyst for an entirely new venture into football. Finally, he was able to mix his business-nous with his love and passion, football.
Ron became majority shareholder of Hibernian in 2019 when a company he established for the purpose, Bydand Sports LLC, bought the shares of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie. The name Bydand was a nod to his Scottish roots, coming from the Clan Gordon motto “Bide and Fecht,” meaning “Stay and Fight.”
He developed a long-term vision and plan for the Football Club, based on creating sustainable success on and off the pitch through improved commercial performance. His vision aims to deliver consistent sporting success, better match day experience for fans, and a Club rooted in its community. He wanted, he said, fans to be proud of their club on and off the pitch.
Ron’s enthusiasm, and determination, was tested when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but he successfully guided the Club through that difficult period. When asked by the media if he regretted the timing of his purchase of the Club, he was typically passionate in his rebuttal of such a thought. He had quickly grown to love the club. Under his watch Hibs finished third in the cinch Premiership – for the first time in 16 years - and also reached the Scottish Cup final in his first season. This saw Hibs compete in the Europa Conference League the following campaign.
Alongside doubling the playing budget, he invested heavily in Hibs’ infrastructure both at HTC and Easter Road to create a high-performance environment for players and staff, to make match days better for fans, and to increase the Club’s commercial opportunities.
Ron was also a great advocate of growing the Scottish game and utilised his position on the SPFL Board as a force for positive change. He was the spearhead in the Deloitte/SPFL Strategy Review and believed that by pulling everyone together, alongside statistics and evidence, they could make a real difference in Scotland.
Ron passed away in hospital and was able to say goodbye to his family that he loved so dearly. A loving husband and father, his wife, Kit, and his sons Ian and Colin are determined to see through his legacy.
Inundated by tributes from friends, colleagues, members of the media and countless institutions within the game and other football clubs, everyone at Hibernian FC would like to place on record our gratitude for the overwhelming kindness and solidarity that has been shown since the news was made public.
RIP Ronald J Gordon (August 1954 - February 2023) “A bonny Fechter”