Features

People on the move: OVG360, Populous, MCC and more

OVG360, part of venue development, advisory and investment company Oak View Group, has hired Joe Leung to serve as vice-president of a new division focusing on parking and mobility at stadia and arenas.

Leung, who is based in Denver, will begin his role immediately and will report to Chris Granger, president of OVG360. The new division will see OVG360 use methodologies and industry-best practices to evaluate each venue’s unique parking process to help identify opportunities for operational efficiencies and revenue generation.

Leung joins OVG360 after spending two decades with some of the most well-known parking companies, experience which spans ballparks, arenas, theatres and a variety of other live events facilities. He most recently served as senior director of customer success at IT services and consulting firm FLASH, from May 2021 to March of this year. Prior to that, Leung was vice-president of parking at Olympia Development of Michigan, and regional manager at SP+, where he oversaw parking and mobility.

Check out our story from last week for more information on OVG360’s new division.

Global architecture firm Populous has announced the appointment of three new members to its EMEA regional board.

Joining the board are Declan Sharkey, senior principal at Populous; Heather Storry, principal and head of people in EMEA; and Christopher Walker, principal and chief finance and operations officer in EMEA.

The trio will join Populous’ five existing EMEA regional board members: Peter Rigby, Christopher Lee, Michael Trice, Nicholas Reynolds and Shireen Hamdan.

Marylebone Cricket Club, owner of Lord’s, has announced that Stephen Fry will become its next president on October 1.

The acclaimed author, actor, presenter and comedian is a cricket enthusiast and has been nominated for the role by current MCC president Clare Connor. Fry (pictured) is a patron of the MCC Foundation and delivered the MCC Cowdrey Lecture last year, becoming only the second non-cricketing personality to do so.

Fry, who has been an MCC member since 2011, said: “I am honoured and proud to be nominated as the next president of MCC. It is a club that is known throughout the world for what it represents in the game and to be gifted the opportunity to perform this role is truly humbling.

“I thank Clare for this incredible opportunity and I look forward to supporting her as president designate over the summer before commencing my own innings in the autumn.”

John Sharkey has started a new role as project director for the under-construction Kai Tak Sports Park development in Hong Kong and will also serve as a director of business development for New World Development Company Limited, which is delivering the project.

Sharkey formerly worked at ASM Global as an executive vice-president in Europe. ASM Global will operate Kai Tak Sports Park, a fully integrated sports, leisure and entertainment destination that is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.

Nick Kelly has stepped down as chief executive of Tepper Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Major League Soccer’s Charlotte FC, just three months after he was appointed to the role.

Kelly previously served as team president of Charlotte FC and joined Tepper Sports and Entertainment from Anheuser-Busch InBev. He was named chief executive of the company in February and no reason has been given for his departure.

Kelly will assist with facilitating an orderly transition for the organisation.

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 in our next round-up.

Image: Lord’s