The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Michael Smith reports former Speed President HUNTER NICKELL is “joining the collection of high-ranking executives who used to work in NASCAR at IMG College.” Nickell will become Senior VP/Partnership Management & Business Development, reporting directly to IMG College President BEN SUTTON. He will be “on a peer level” with COO TONY CRISPINO, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer ROGER VANDERSNICK and Chief Innovation Officer MARK DYER. Nickell’s job "largely will be to integrate all of IMG College’s offerings, from multimedia rights to ticketing, licensing, stadium seating, digital programming and sponsorship sales.” Nickell will work out of the IMG College HQs in Winston Salem, N.C., and joins the company this week (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/30 issue).
SPREADING HIS WINGS: In this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports longtime Skechers Fitness Group President & CMO LEONARD ARMATO is now “going to try his hand at running a marketing services agency.” Armato has joined the Leverage Agency, N.Y., as Chair & Managing Dir. The agency “has opened a West Coast office in Los Angeles to accommodate Armato, who will bring Skechers’ sports and entertainment needs to Leverage as his first business development contribution to the group” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/30 issue).
NAMES: 24 Hour Fitness CMO TONY WELLS is leaving the company to take over as ADT North America Chief Marketing & Customer Officer. The company has more than 6 million customers in the U.S. and Canada and employs 16,000 (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal)….Mobivity (formerly Txtstation) promoted MICHAEL FALATO to Senior VP/Sales & Development (THE DAILY)….The USOC named Integris VP/Diversity & Community Health Improvement JASON THOMPSON its first Dir of Diversity & Inclusion, reporting to USOC Chief Administration Officer KRISTEN VOLPI. Thompson will be based at USOC HQs in Colorado Springs (USOC)….The Falcons named former Colts VP & GM CHRIS POLIAN to the team’s scouting department. Polian will “help the Falcons in a scouting capacity and have some assignments around the league” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/30).
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