SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Michael Smith reports IMG "will no longer have a separate consulting division for golf clients, a shift in structure that has eliminated longtime IMG executive BART KENDALL's job." Kendall, a Senior VP and veteran of 18 years at IMG Golf, "led the golf division’s consulting business, which included clients such as Royal Bank of Canada and Chevron." The golf consulting business "now will be rolled into the global consulting group under" IMG Senior VP & Managing Dir DAVID ABRUTYN. No "other job losses are expected from the consolidation of divisions." IMG "will keep a consulting presence in its Cleveland office, where the North American golf division has long been based, but those executives will now report" to VP/Consulting KEVIN RING. Consulting from the Cleveland office "will now flow through Ring into Abrutyn’s office" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/31 issue).
COMINGS & GOINGS: In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports former MSG President BOB GUTKOWSKI is joining New York-based Innovative Strategic Management as a partner, "spearheading an expansion of the private equity firm into sports, media and entertainment." ISM represents funds with $3.8B under management. Meanwhile, former NBA marketer DAN PINCUS was named Assistant VP/Sponsorship & Promotions at MetLife, filling a vacancy created when KIM TAYLOR left the company. Also, NBA VP/Global Partnerships FRANK NAKANO is leaving the league after four years to join JPMorgan Chase’s "burgeoning sports and entertainment marketing department" headed by former NFL exec STEVE PAMON (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/31 issue).
EXECS: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. named SUNY-Ulster Junior College Athletic Program Dir DEB SOLFARO Senior Associate AD (FDU)....The Univ. of California-Berkeley named SOLLY FULP Deputy AD & COO for Athletics. Fulp previously served as VP for IMG College's Pac-12 properties (Cal)....Sources said that R.J. ADELMAN, the son of new T'Wolves coach RICK ADELMAN, is "expected to assume a front-office role in player personnel matters" with the team when the NBA lockout ends (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/29)....Southern League President DON MINCHER has announced his retirement after 12-plus years in the position (HUNTSVILLE TIMES, 10/29).
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