Australian Olympic Committee VP PETER MONTGOMERY announced his "retirement/resignation," effective immediately, in an email to current and former AOC members. The announcement ends Montgomery’s 26-year involvement with the AOC exec board, including 15 years as AOC President JOHN COATES’s VP. Montgomery offered a "cryptic explanation to colleagues for his decision," which coincides with Coates’s "public falling out with the Australian Sports Commission and prominent Australian sports chiefs in the wake of the Rio Games." Montgomery wrote, "People are falling down all around us! It is time for me to smell the roses while I still can! (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/7). ... BBC Worldwide has appointed ADAM BISHOP to the newly created role of VP of sales for German and French-speaking territories. Based in London, he will be responsible for all TV and digital sales, licensing and publishing across these markets. Bishop will report to EVP Western Europe TOBI DE GRAAFF and lead teams in London, Cologne and Paris. Bishop has worked for the past 13 years in the FMCG sector for Procter & Gamble (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 9/7). ... PETE VLASTELICA is exiting as Fox Sports’ exec VP of digital to become president and CEO of Major League Gaming, the esports division of video-game company Activision Blizzard. Vlastelica, who officially starts at Activision Blizzard on Oct. 3, will be tasked with growing the company’s esports broadcast, content and distribution business that “revolves around video-game competitions as a spectator sport.” He will be based at Activision Blizzard’s Santa Monica, Calif., HQ and report to COO THOMAS TIPPL (VARIETY, 9/7). ... WILLY BOGNER, owner of the int’l sports fashion group, has appointed ALEXANDER WIRTH chair of the management board and CEO of Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. Wirth has already been in charge of the operations of the Munich fashion company since the beginning of this year. For many years, Wirth was head of Ralph Lauren Germany (Willy Bogner). ... Rugby side Hull Kingston Rovers named former Australia coach TIM SHEENS head coach for ‘17. The 65-year-old is “midway through a three-year deal working as the director of rugby at Salford,” but it is understood he has been “lured from that role to return to coaching, his first such role at club level” since leaving Wests Tigers in ’12 (London GUARDIAN, 9/8).
... Int'l Cricket Council Americas announced two hires to drive the
long-term development of cricket in the U.S. Former Sri Lankan player PUBUDU DASSANAYAKE has been named as USA National coach, while ERIC PARTHEN has been appointed project manager to lead the implementation of the strategic plan to help grow the sport in the U.S. (ICC).
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