Features

People on the move: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Las Vegas Grand Prix and more

Ole Hertel, previously general manager of Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, has been appointed vice-president and managing director of Anschutz Entertainment Group Operations, which operates the venue.

Hertel (pictured) will assume overall operational responsibility alongside Uwe Frommhold, vice-president and chief operating officer of AEG, who previously served solely as managing director of Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Hertel has been working for AEG in Berlin since 2008 and was initially responsible for the events division of Mercedes-Benz Arena. He assumed the role of general manager in 2020. Prior to joining the AEG, he headed event management at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium from 2004 to 2008.

Renee Wilm has been appointed chief executive of Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will debut next year.

Wilm is the chief legal and administrative officer at Liberty Media, which owns F1. In her new role, she will oversee the commercial and operational areas of the race.

The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place at night on a Saturday in November 2023, with the track to sweep past some of the Las Vegas Strip’s most famous landmarks. F1 and Liberty Media will work together to promote the race in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Premier League football club Manchester United has reportedly hired Ellie Norman as its chief communications officer and Matt McKie as its director of consumer marketing.

The AdWeek website reports that the pair will begin work at United this month. Norman formerly served as global director of marketing and communications at F1, while McKie is head of global marketing for the International Olympic Committee.

According to AdWeek, Norman will oversee United’s brand and content, while also forming part of the club’s executive leadership team. McKie will report to Phil Lynch, United’s chief executive of digital products and services.

Ted Phillips, president and chief executive of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, will retire at the end of February after spending 40 years with the franchise.

The 65-year-old has worked in his current role since 1999 and originally joined the Bears in 1983 as the team’s controller. He then served as director of finance from 1987 to 1993 and vice-president of operations from 1993 to 1999.

During Phillips’ time with the Bears, he oversaw a deal for a renovated Soldier Field, which opened in 2003. He will leave the Bears as the team considers the possibility of building a new stadium on the site of Arlington International Racecourse.

Australian celebrity chef and restaurateur, Matt Moran, has been appointed as a ‘culinary ambassador’ for Accor Stadium and CommBank Stadium.

The agreement with Venues NSW, which owns and operates Accor Stadium in Sydney and CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, will see Moran, who has a career spanning over 30 years in the Australian food industry, hold a wide-ranging brief to enhance the food and beverage experience at the venues.

Read our story from last week for full details.

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.