Antigua & Barbuda Basketball Association President DARYLL MATTHEW has been elected as a member of FIBA's newly formed Finance Committee. The committee, described as "arguably the most influential committee of FIBA in the Americas," was elected during a FIBA meeting two weeks ago, with Matthew as the first of three members. Matthew is joined on the committee by Chair JIM TOOLEY of USA Basketball and Vice Chair MARCELO BEDOYA of Paraguay. The other members are JULIO EDUARDO TORRES of Puerto Rico and MICHELLE O'KEEFE of Canada (ANTIGUA OBSERVER, 10/29). ... Australian Football League club Essendon confirmed that former Australian Federal Finance Minister LINDSAY TURNER is "slated to take over" as club chair from PAUL LITTLE (THE AGE, 10/29). ... Former footballer WAYNE ALLISON was appointed as the FA's new black, Asian & minority ethnic project manager on Wednesday. He will "spearhead an initiative designed to win hearts and minds" as he endeavors to convince leading clubs "of the need to increase the number of BAME managers in the game." Allison will hold "informal discussions with key figures at top-flight clubs in an effort to coax them" into following the Football League's lead on the issue (London GUARDIAN, 10/28). ... NHL Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA Toronto Raptors owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. hired MICHAEL FRIISDAHL to replace outgoing CEO TIM LEIWEKE. Friisdahl, an Air Canada exec, takes over in December as president and CEO. He led a unit of Air Canada that focused on vacation and tour operations and the airline's Rouge brand (BLOOMBERG, 10/29). ... ESPN Senior VP/Marketing AARON TAYLOR "is stepping down after nearly 17 years." The network will hire a new marketing head. Tasked with overseeing all aspects of ESPN’s marketing, "the well-liked Taylor is perhaps best known" for ESPN’s "This Is SportsCenter" campaign (John Ourand, SportsBusiness Journal). ... AS Roma announced that it appointed LAURENT COLETTE as its CMO. Colette most recently served as chief marketing and commercial officer at Barcelona since '10. He will be based in Rome and report directly to CEO ITALO ZANZI, overseeing all global commercial and marketing activities (AS Roma). ... Fox named Bing Communications Group President JONATHAN BING Senior VP/Corporate Communications. He will oversee all communications and media relations for Fox Networks Group, reporting jointly to FNG Chair & CEO PETER RICE, President & COO RANDY FREER and Fox Chief Communications Officer JULIE HENDERSON. Bing will be based out of L.A. (Fox). ... Harvard Group Int'l named MARK MAYLEBEN Exec Search Consultant for its Global Sport & Entertainment Practice. HGI also named JEFF DOYLE Managing Dir for its Media, Marketing & Agency Practice, as well as the Global Sports & Entertainment Practice (THE DAILY). ... IAM Cycling announced LIONEL MARIE as its new sporting director. Marie “occupied the same position with Giant-Shimano last year.” He “replaces RUBENS BERTOGLIATI,” who had the position since ’13. Bertogliati wants to focus “on the development of young talent” in his native Switzerland (L’ÉQUIPE, 10/29).
COACHES/MANAGERS: The Greek Football Federation (EPO) on Thursday named MICHAEL SKIBBE coach of the Greece national team. The 50-year-old German, who has "led a host of clubs in his home country and Turkey" in a coaching career that began in '88, has agreed to a two-year deal with EPO. He succeeds Uruguayan SERGIO MARKARIAN (REUTERS, 10/29). ... DELIO ROSSI has been sacked as coach of Serie A Side Bologna. ROBERTO DONADONI, who has been "out of work following the collapse of Parma at the end of last season, is regarded as the No. 1 candidate to replace him." Rossi guided the Emilia-Romagna club back into the top flight last season, "but results since promotion have not been in keeping with the club's ambitions" (ESPN, 10/28).
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