Just a month after completing its sale to WME-IMG, the PBR is experiencing a shuffle among its top leadership execs. Effective today, longtime COO SEAN GLEASON has been promoted to CEO, taking over the position from JIM HAWORTH, who will remain with the organization as Chair. PBR Chief Global Events Officer DAVE CORDOVANO has left the organization. Gleason, in his new role, will report to WME-IMG Chief Content Officer MARK SHAPIRO, while Haworth will focus on international objectives for PBR and other projects. “My priority will be to efficiently plug the PBR brand and organization into the WME-IMG machine and take advantage of a worldwide network of talented professionals and resources,” said Gleason, who has been with the organization for 15 of its 23-year existence. “I’ve got to think bigger.” Gleason said WME-IMG approached him about the transition just after the sale was officially approved in mid-May, adding that he has relationships spanning 10-plus years with WME-IMG leadership, including Shapiro dating to his time at ESPN. Shapiro in an e-mail wrote Gleason has helped “grow PBR from a niche sport into a global brand.” Shapiro: “His strategic thinking and passion for the sport -- coupled with Jim Haworth’s vision and track record -- ideally position PBR for long-term success.” For his part, Gleason does not think there will be a big adjustment, noting he has been “very involved in every aspect of our operations -- intimately in the sale of this business twice now.” Gleason: “I don’t think that my operational duties or my leadership responsibilities as it relates to guiding this business are going to change."
TRYING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE: Gleason said WME-IMG’s purchase gives PBR numerous opportunities to move the needle in areas such as consumer licensing, content development and distribution, international expansion, athlete and lifestyle growth and other revenue and brand-building activities. He sees more outdoor, festival-style events in the future, similar to the organization’s inaugural “Spring Break” held last month in Las Vegas. Gleason also wants to put an emphasis on developing PBR’s bull riders into celebrities. “That’s something that WME-IMG are great at, so we’re working diligently on some shoulder programming content that focuses more on the lifestyle of our athletes rather than the competitive performance,” Gleason said.
