A round-up of key appointments from within the sports and events industries over the past week.
NEC Group has appointed Donovan Myers to the newly-created role of project manager for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in the English city of Birmingham. The Games will see NEC Group host a total of nine sports in three of its flagship venues – Arena Birmingham, the NEC and Genting Arena, which is soon to be renamed Resorts World Arena.
Myers (pictured) currently works as business change manager for the NEC in Birmingham. As project manager for Birmingham 2022, he will co-ordinate the Group’s activities to ensure all commitments are delivered towards the safe and successful delivery of the Games.
The O2 in London has appointed Steve Sayer as its new vice-president and general manager. Sayer currently serves as the venue’s commercial director, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to joining AEG Europe, which owns and operates The O2, Sayer was operations director for English Premier League football club Manchester City. In his new role, he will oversee the senior leadership team at The O2, focusing on all aspects of venue management.
The O2 has also named Danielle Kennedy-Clark as its new deputy general manager. Kennedy-Clark has been promoted from the position of operations director. She has worked at The O2 since 2010, when she joined as venue manager, before being promoted to operations director last year. Prior to moving to The O2, Kennedy-Clark held roles at the David Beckham Academy on the Greenwich Peninsula. As deputy general manager of The O2, she will be responsible for site-wide operations including security, event delivery, and food and beverage operations.
Gavin Brind has also been announced as finance director for The O2 and The SSE Arena, Wembley, replacing Paul Reeve, who recently became chief financial officer of AEG Europe. Brind currently serves as deputy finance director, a role he took up in 2017. He joined AEG in 2012 and, as head of commercial finance, has led all financial and commercial business partnering activities for the two venues. Brind previously held finance roles at HMV and Channel 4.
Ticketing services company Eventbrite has continued to diversify its executive team with the addition of Deborah Sharkey and Crystal Valentine as chief commercial officer and chief data strategy officer, respectively. The two new appointments bring Eventbrite’s executive team to an even split of male and female members. Sharkey joins from pet services company DogVacay, where she worked as chief operating officer. Valentine previously worked as vice-president of technology strategy at enterprise company MapR Technologies.
Stuart Shanks has started a new position as director of venues at theatre production company Selladoor Worldwide. Shanks previously served as a commercial arts consultant at Theatre and Arts Management.
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Image: NEC Group
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