Having spent a number of years in the leisure industry in financial controller positions, he rejoined his former firm (by then known as Arthur Young) in 1983 as a management consultant.
A Liverpool fan, Parry was recruited from his position as a senior management consultant with leading UK firm Ernst & Young in 1991 to assist in planning the new Premier League.
Appointed Chief Executive in February 1992, the competition was officially ratified just seven days later by The Football Association, allowing Parry to proceed with negotiations for a television deal which was eventually awarded to BSkyB and the BBC for a then record bid of £304 million over five years.
During his last twelve months at Lancaster Gate, he brokered the biggest ever television deal in the history of UK sport, with BSkyB and the BBC offering a package in excess of £700m for Premier League broadcasting rights.
On 18 June 2007, Parry was called to give evidence to the arbitration panel investigating the validity of an earlier tribunal decision regarding West Ham United's signing of Argentinian Internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.