The final appointments round-up of 2018 begins with yesterday’s (Thursday’s) election of a new CEO at Lega Serie A. The governing body of the top division of Italian club football has elected Luigi De Siervo, who comes to the position having served as managing director of the Italian division of the Infront agency.
De Siervo (left of picture) said: “I inherit a great team and I am convinced that together we can do well and grow as a company. I will put the 28 years of work behind me at the service of the Lega.”
The ACC Liverpool Group has appointed Max Steinberg as its new chair of the board. The organisation, which runs Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre – including the soon to be renamed Echo Arena – confirmed that he will take over from the previous chair, former Liverpool Football Club chief executive Ian Ayre, who left in June.
Steinberg recently stood down as chief executive of regeneration agency Liverpool Vision after eight years, following a restructure at Liverpool City Council. Bob Prattey, chief executive of the ACC Liverpool Group, said: “(Max) has played an integral role in bringing a range successful events to our venue including the Global Entrepreneurship Congress and the International Festival Business, helping to cement the region’s business reputation. He is well respected in the city and we are confident that he will be a valuable addition to our board.”
Mike Crawford, formerly a senior executive from Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts Company, and Walt Disney Company, has been named the new CEO for the Hall of Fame Village project in Canton, Ohio.
The move is a major milestone in the long-term development of the $889m (£701.6m/€778.1m) mixed-use project underway around the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The project is being led by a partnership between the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Industrial Realty Group (IRG) and M. Klein & Company. Michael Eck served as interim CEO on behalf of the stakeholders and M. Klein & Company during the foundational building period.
Crawford spent almost 25 years at the Walt Disney Company and the past four years with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company where he started as president of Asia Pacific and then in 2014 went on to become global president of portfolio management.
He said: “Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, the first-ever smart sports and entertainment city, is an extraordinary project and a unique opportunity. It will incorporate the latest technology from Johnson Controls to create a world-class destination that will change people’s lives. I look forward to helping advance this terrific vision into a reality.”
Jay Frye has been promoted to president of IndyCar as part of wider organisational changes at the US motor racing championship. Frye, who has led IndyCar’s competition and operations departments since November 2015, will add marketing and communications to his responsibilities, effective January 1.
Mark Sibla, IndyCar chief of staff, competition and operations, will similarly expand his role with the Indianapolis-based sanctioning body, becoming chief of staff of all IndyCar departments. The reorganisation is a result of C.J. O’Donnell’s resignation at year’s end. O’Donnell has been chief marketing officer at IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway since November 2013.
Live Nation Entertainment has announced the election of Maverick Carter to its board of directors. With a wealth of experience across the business, marketing, entertainment, and media sectors, Carter has become an important figure in the sports and talent landscape.
As LeBron James’ longtime business manager, Carter is credited with guiding the basketball superstar’s career off the court that spans entertainment, content creation, and marketing and business development through the companies they cofounded – SpringHill Entertainment, UNINTERRUPTED, and The Robot Company.
Today Carter serves as the CEO of each of these companies within LRMR Ventures, a holding company he helped build that oversees all of James’ and Carter’s current investments and business assets.
“Maverick’s talent-centric view, brand instincts and ability to innovate make him an incredible asset and resource to Live Nation as we continue to create new ways to partner with artists and expand our business,” said Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment.
Banc of California Stadium Entertainment has named Brian Smith as its new event director. Smith will join the Southern California based team after more than six years in event and festival management with SMG Worldwide.
Smith will be responsible for organising, confirming, coordinating and providing support to both internal and external clients of the Los Angeles Football Club’s home stadium. He will also be responsible for the safe and seamless execution of events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Stadium Grounds in Exposition Park.
Jonny Petrie has started in a new position as CEO of Ulster Rugby, which competes in the Pro14 club competition. Petrie has joined Ulster from Edinburgh Rugby, where he held the position of managing director since July 2015.
Guillem Graell Alabern has commenced a new position as chief marketing officer and director of brand, digital at Barça Studios, as well as taking on ticketing responsibilities at the Spanish LaLiga football club.
Do you have news of an appointment that we should know about? Get in touch by emailing news.editor@thestadiumbusiness.com and we’ll include it on our next round-up.
Image: Lega Serie A
