Graham Wallace knows what he has taken on.

The former Manchester City chief operating officer is well aware of the issues surrounding Rangers, the different shareholder factions, the discontent between the fans and the board, the need for fresh investment, the forthcoming annual meeting; the general sense of uncertainty around the club. As the new chief executive officer at Ibrox, he is undertaking a rebuilding job, but has only weeks to make an initial impact.

The agm will be held at Ibrox on December 19 and, as with the rest of the directors, Wallace will be up for re-election. Four nominees - Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson - will also be seeking election as directors. Two shareholder blocks, representing roughly the same size of stake in Rangers International Football Club, support the two factions, although as recent appointments, Wallace, David Somers, the acting chairman, and Norman Crighton, the non-executive director, do not fit directly into either camp.

Wallace understands the volatile nature of the situation he has entered. Other candidates were considered, and some were reluctant to put themselves in the middle of what is effectively a conflict for control of the club. The sale of 3.2m shares yesterday, at 41p and totalling £1.4m, could be significant to the bigger picture. Only Artemis, Hargreave Hale, Laxey Partners and Blue Pitch Holdings had large enough stakes to sell that many shares, with the former two understood to support the nominees, and the latter a confirmed supporter of James Easdale, the non-executive director, and Brian Stockbridge, the finance director. Laxey Partners have said that they will take into account the view of supporters when voting at the agm.

Whoever bought the shareholding, which represents 5.1% of the total stock, will influence the outcome of the agm vote. Wallace must find a way to negotiate these difficult times, while also addressing the pressing issues at Ibrox. The morale among staff is low, while supporter protests against the board are held at every game. Key positions need to be filled, a strategy to rebuild the club needs to be implemented, and new funding needs to be sourced, although Crighton now heads up a board committee for that purpose.

Having spent four years at City, following three years at IMG and five at MTV Networks, Wallace certainly brings experience to the position. The 52-year-old, who was born in Dumfries, played an important role in the restructuring of Manchester City following Sheikh Mansour's takeover, and staff at the club continue to speak highly of him.

He was appointed chief financial officer just after the takeover, at a time when Garry Cook, the CEO, was attempting to rebuild following the chaos of Thaksin Shinawatra's ownership. When Cook joined, just months before Wallace, there was no human resources department, no in-house legal team, and nobody was entirely sure how many members of staff City had. Wallace was influential in the process of building a new executive management structure.

The club posted significant losses during his time as CFO, but that was part of a strategy agreed between the board and the owners, since City wanted to make the playing squad competitive at the elite level, before financial fair play rules came into effect. Wallace was later promoted to chief operating officer, effectively No.2 to Cook, and represented City at the European Club Association as well as attending most Barclays Premier League meetings.

Former colleagues recall a shrewd, contemplative, warm, engaging and diplomatic figure. Often, he would advise staff on difficult situations affecting their department, even if it was not directly in his remit. His background is in financial governance but he was also thought creative enough to be involved in City's overall strategy.

A friend and former colleague describes Wallace as "intelligent, a man of integrity, but also of steel". He will not shy away from difficult decisions, but nor will he be anybody's patsy. The same source considers him a formidable operator and would not to be surprised if Wallace was still in place in five months, let alone five weeks. Wallace is an Arsenal supporter, but also a very proud Scot.

Alastair Johnston, the former Rangers chairman, was a colleague of Wallace's at IMG. "He was a particularly good numbers guy, but I would assume he sharpened his administrative skills at Man City," Johnston said. "I am certain he doesn't carry any baggage derived from individuals or institutions involved with the management or ownership of Rangers in the last couple of years."

Rangers' major shareholders would have been sounded out informally about his appointment, but there is not yet a clear picture of how the following weeks will unfold. With the agm vote likely to be so tight, share transactions will be pivotal. Dave King continues to monitor events, and remains keen to provide the additional finance that Rangers need, most likely through underwriting a fresh share issue.

The dynamic of recent weeks has shifted. The new board members must work alongside Easdale and Stockbridge, with the former and his brother, Sandy, having been influential in recent months due to the proxy votes they hold, for Charles Green - Sandy Easdale has an agreement to buy his shares after December 7 - Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings.

Wallace, as well as Somers and Crighton, has joined Rangers at a critical moment, all three have solid corporate backgrounds and ought to enhance the board. They also have to manage the situation they find themselves in. Much depends on it.