Robson, who has helped the Hawks club membership exceed 50,000, will leave the club immediately before joining the Bombers at the end of the season.
Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh said Robson had an impressive track record of success and experience especially within the AFL environment.
“At Essendon we are following a similar football and business strategy to that of Hawthorn – including focusing on bringing through a young playing group together – which makes Ian an excellent fit for us and we are pleased to have attracted our new CEO from a successful club,” Horsburgh said.
“He has held senior management positions in Australia and overseas, including Auckland and Scotland, culminating in his employment at Hawthorn for the past five years – he has a wealth of corporate and football knowledge and we are confident we have secured the best person for the job.
“Significantly, during his time at the Hawks the club had grown considerably – including attracting over 50,000 members this year for the first time – and I believe he will help Essendon build towards further on and off-field success.”
Hawthorn chairman Jeff Kennett said Robson told him of his decision last night.
“Ian has completed five years at Hawthorn and had indicated at the beginning of the year that he was looking at other employment opportunities, so this decision is not unexpected,” Kennett said.
“Ian has served the club well over the last five years. We thank him for his contribution to the team that delivered our 10th premiership last year, and we wish him well at Essendon.”
Horsburgh also paid tribute to out-going CEO Jackson. "Peter has played an integral role in building Essendon into the AFL powerhouse it is today and his contribution to the success of this club for more than a decade cannot be underestimated," he said.
"He has said that the time has come to focus on new challenges and we wish him all the best in the future."
