Former Romanian football player ANGHEL IORDANESCU, 64, is “leaving his position as technical director” and will take over as coach of Romania. The former coach of Romanian Liga 1 side Steaua Bucarest has already held this position twice (’93-98 and ’02-04) (SPORT 365, 10/26). ... The WTA named Octagon Managing Dir of Tennis & Global Initiatives MICKY LAWLER president, effective Jan. 1. She will report to WTA Chair & CEO STACEY ALLASTER and be responsible for driving the organization's int'l growth strategy, business development, marketing and fan-engagement programs, plus member and industry relations. She will be based out of the WTA's global HQs in St. Petersburg, Fla. (WTA). ... League Championship side Leeds United has “parted company with head coach DARKO MILANIC after just 32 days at the club.” Academy manager NEIL REDFEARN will replace the Slovenian "on a permanent basis." Milanic, 46, was appointed on Sept. 23 but failed to win any of his six games in charge. His reign is “the shortest of any permanent manager in Leeds's history -- beating the joint record of BRIAN CLOUGH and JOCK STEIN -- who each lasted 44 days" (BBC, 10/25).
YEAR OF TURMOIL: Athletics Australia's “year of turmoil off the track” has continued with the departure of CEO DALLAS O’BRIEN as “two reviews into the sport are carried out in the wake of the ERIC HOLLINGSWORTH fiasco” at the Commonwealth Games. AA will "now be searching for a new chief executive as well as a new head coach after O'Brien resigned on Friday" with two years remaining on his contract. It is understood he was “asked to resign after losing the support of the board and the sport's stakeholders.” AA also remains without a major sponsor, “which was another factor that damaged O'Brien,” who became the chief executive in June ‘10, replacing DANNY CORCORAN (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/24). ... Coca-Cola Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer JOE TRIPODI “announced he will be replaced by MARCOS DE QUINTO upon his retirement from the company” in February. Tripodi oversaw one of the firm’s "most successful" campaigns, "Open Happiness," which won the Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year Award in ‘13. De Quinto, the current president of Coca-Cola’s Iberia business unit and VP of the Europe Group, has been in the role since ‘00. He will work with Tripodi “in the months following his appointment to ensure a smooth transition” (THE DRUM, 10/23).
Do you have an executive announcement? If so, please send to global@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
