This week saw Sally Bolton OBE appointed chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which organises the Wimbledon grand slam.
Bolton (pictured) will replace Richard Lewis CBE in the role following next year’s tournament. Bolton has been appointed following what the AELTC described as a “robust and wide-ranging” process with the support of executive search firm SRI Executive.
Bolton previously worked as chief executive of Wigan Rugby League and Orrell Rugby Union before going on to deliver a range of major events at stadia such as Wembley, Old Trafford, Principality Stadium and Murrayfield. She also led the delivery of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, following which she was awarded her OBE.
Bolton then spent two years as managing director of the organising committee for the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London and joined the AELTC as head of corporate affairs in 2016. She became strategic planning and operations director in February 2018.
David Baldwin has been unveiled as the new chief executive of the English Football League (EFL).
Baldwin joins the EFL from Premier League club Burnley, where he has served as chief executive since 2015. He formerly served as chief executive of Bradford City.
Baldwin will take up his new role in June 2020. He will replace Shaun Harvey, who left the EFL at the end of last season.
Oak View Group has named John Bolton as senior vice-president of entertainment and general manager of its new 10,000-seat arena at Agua Caliente in Palm Springs.
Bolton will report to Stephen Collins, chief operating officer at OVG. He will support all OVG venues and will assist in developing grand opening and entertainment plans for OVG’s eight new arena projects.
As general manager of the Palm Springs arena, he will oversee development and opening of the venue. The arena will be the home of the American Hockey League expansion franchise owned by the new NHL Seattle team that will launch in 2021. Groundbreaking on the new arena is expected in February 2020.
Legends International has named Richard Seymour as a global planning director.
Seymour will work alongside Richard Cheesman, Legends International’s senior vice-president of global planning. He will manage Legends International’s feasibility, data analytics and business planning.
Seymour has spent the past six years at Nielsen, where he served as head of consulting for UK and Ireland.
Legends International worked on the business plan for Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium and has also worked on projects for Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Galatasaray.
Karim Virani has started a new position as chief commercial officer at Premier League club West Ham United.
Virani previously served as digital and commercial director at the club. Before joining West Ham, he served as head of digital at NewDay and head of CRM and social marketing at Ticketmaster-owned Seatwave.
Virani has also held roles at Sky, Betfair and EE.
Arena Racing Company has appointed Amy Smith as executive director of the Lingfield Park Resort horse-racing venue.
Smith formerly served as director of sales and marketing at Lingfield Park and in her new role will assume overall responsibility for the racecourse business as well as the Marriott Hotel, golf course and spa.
Russell Bowes has also been appointed as general manager at Lingfield Park, with Rebecca Davies having been promoted to regional executive director. Elsewhere, Michael Thomas has been appointed general manager of Worcester Racecourse.
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