Crypto.com Arena has announced the appointment of Michael Becker as vice-president of event services and production.
Becker (pictured left) will be responsible for overseeing the arena’s events team, which acts as a liaison between the venue’s tenants: the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Kings and Los Angeles Sparks.
Becker joined Crypto.com Arena in 2010 after working with Major League Baseball’s LA Dodgers and LA Angels. He started as a guest services supervisor before transitioning to the event services department as an event manager.
Aston Villa has announced that Chris Heck will step down as the Premier League club’s president of business operations at the end of the season.
Heck joined Villa in May 2023, having previously spent nine years as president of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. According to The Telegraph, Heck has agreed a deal to become the new president of business operations at LIV Golf.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, newly promoted Leeds United has announced that Robbie Evans has been promoted to the position of managing director following the departure of chief executive Angus Kinnear.
Evans joined Leeds as chief strategy officer in 2023, having previously served as chief strategy officer at a 2,000-plus-person publicly traded company. He formerly served as a key contributor in new stadium development for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
Leeds has also promoted Adam Underwood to sporting director, Morrie Eisenberg to chief business officer and Fay Greer to chief financial officer. The promotions have been announced after Kinnear was recently appointed chief executive of Everton.
OC Sports & Entertainment, the operator of Anaheim’s Honda Center and the organisation behind the OCVIBE project, has appointed Eric Bresler as vice-president of entertainment.
Bresler will shape the event booking and programming strategy for Honda Center, home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, as well as the upcoming concert hall, the Grove of Anaheim, and future OCVIBE venues.
Bresler previously served as senior vice-president of programming for Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. His appointment comes after plans were recently revealed for a $1bn (£750m/€883m) revamp of Honda Center.
Mike Papadimitriou and Stuart Cain have been appointed to the board of London Stadium as part of the venue’s new ownership structure.
Papadimitriou most recently served as chief financial officer of Formula E, while Cain is chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Edgbaston. They will join Phil Mead, former chair of NEC Group Arenas and The Ticket Factory.
It was announced last year that a new governance arrangement would see ownership of London Stadium move from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) directly into Greater London Authority Holdings. Former LLDC chief executive Lyn Garner was appointed as the new chair of the board and she has now recruited Papadimitriou and Cain.
Sarah Massey has been appointed director of sport for the British Olympic Association (BOA) and will join the organisation in January following the conclusion of her role as managing director of this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Massey (pictured right) will join the BOA ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. She previously served as chief executive of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon and has also held senior positions at the International Hockey Federation and International Tennis Federation.
The German Football League (DFL) has announced that Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel will continue to serve as managing directors after signing new contract extensions until the end of 2029.
Lenz and Merkel have served as managing directors since July 2023. Lenz joined the DFL in 2019, while Merkel has worked for the organisation since 2014.
Confirmed360, a premium sports and entertainment experiences provider, has appointed Ben Horton as senior vice-president of global business.
Horton most recently served as director of inventory at SeatGeek, where he oversaw the business development strategy for the company’s secondary marketplace. He previously held various leadership roles at StubHub.
A-League team Melbourne FC has named Paul Guerra as its new chief executive.
Guerra is currently chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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.
