American City Business Journals, parent company of SportsBusiness Journal, has acquired the remaining 50 percent interest in London-based Leaders that it did not own. ACBJ acquired an initial 50 percent in Leaders in August 2014.
Leaders produces sports business summits in London and New York City and will be expanding to Beijing this summer. In addition, the Leaders Performance Institute produces events in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London and Doha, Qatar, and publishes insights and research for coaches, general managers and others responsible for athlete performance.
The acquisition significantly extends and complements ACBJ’s sports business properties, which include SportsBusiness Journal, SportsBusiness Daily, RGLive and their affiliated conference and events group.
“Leaders provides us a platform that addresses the truly global nature of sports business,” said ACBJ president and CEO Whitney Shaw. “U.S. companies are not only involved in sports internationally, they’re looking for ways to make a more significant impact, especially in emerging sports and markets. And companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere are becoming more involved in U.S. sports business. On the performance side, coaches and managers around the world speak a common language and share a common challenge — how do I help athletes and teams maximize performance on the field? Leaders Performance Institute furthers that conversation with events, research and insights.”
Leaders founder and CEO James Worrall and co-founder and COO Simon Lau will remain with the business to spearhead the company’s further international expansion beyond its original sports business roots. That expansion will come geographically and by diversifying across additional industry sectors.
— Staff reports
