Executive Transactions
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Don Muret reports RTKL "eliminated its sports and public assembly group" led by VP RON TURNER. RTKL VP THOM MCKAY confirmed that Turner, who has designed Staples Center, Safeco Field and Paul Brown Stadium, and three other architects in the sports division were "let go in mid-November." McKay: "We are no longer in the arena and stadium design business." RTKL "made its name in sports by helping HOK Sport fit Camden Yards into Baltimore" in the early '90s. More recently, the firm developed L.A. Live, AEG's entertainment district across the street from Staples Center. Turner said that he was "working out an agreement with RTKL for the exclusive rights to continue with a few sports projects, including upgrades" to L.A. Memorial Coliseum for USC's football team (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).
GROWING THE GARDEN: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's John Lombardo reports Celtics Senior VP/Corporate Partnerships SEAN BARROR will join MSG as Senior VP/Sales on December 10. MSG also hired RON SKOTARCZAK as Senior VP/Sales. Prior to MSG, Skotarczak was Lightning Gaming Founder & President. Barror and Skotarczak will be "responsible for selling integrated partnership deals across all MSG Sports properties," which include the Knicks, NHL Rangers and WNBA Liberty. Both will report directly to MSG Sports President SCOTT O'NEIL. Cavaliers VP/Ticket Sales MICHAEL ONDREJKO has been hired as VP/Suite Sales for all MSG Sports Properties. The three hires are the "first key additions" to the MSG staff under O'Neil, who became President in August. The Cavaliers replaced Ondrejko by hiring Bobcats VP/Ticket Sales MIKE TOMON. The Celtics have not yet named a replacement for Barror (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).
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Chris Parsons Named NFL
Head Of Int'l Business |
NFL: In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports the NFL named CHRIS PARSONS VP/Int'l and Head of Int'l Business. Parsons will be based at the NFL's N.Y. HQs and will report to NFL Senior VP/Sales & Marketing MARK WALLER. Parsons previously worked at Diageo for 10 years, where he worked for Waller, and on the "company's U.S. business, including the Guinness and Red Stripe beer labels and the Johnny Walker and J&B scotch brands." Prior to that, Parsons held sales and marketing positions for brewer Bass (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).
MEDIA: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's John Ourand reports EchoStar Senior VP/Programming ERIC SAHL will leave the company by the end of the year. It is uncertain where Sahl will head to next. EchoStar will start a search for Sahl's replacement after the new year. In the meantime, "many of his responsibilities are expected to be divided among" Senior VP MICHAEL MCKENNA and VPs CAROLYN CRAWFORD and ANDY KAROFSKY. Under Sahl, Dish Network has been "known for its tough stance with sports programmers, as the network does not have deals" with MLB Network, the mtn. or YES Network, "because of disputes over price and channel positioning" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).
EXECS: The Orioles named WAYNE KRIVSKY as Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations ANDY MACPHAIL. Krivsky most recently served as Special Assistant to Mets GM OMAR MINAYA during the '08 season. Prior to that role, Krivsky spent two years as Reds Exec VP & GM (Orioles). Krivsky replaces Orioles Dir of Baseball Administration SCOTT PROEFROCK who left the team last month to become Phillies Assistant GM (Baltimore SUN, 11/27)....Learfield Sports named JOSH PEROT Account Exec for Louisiana Tech Sports Properties. Perot was previously an intern for Texas A&M Sports Properties (Learfield Sports).
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