Kenyon Takes Up Caa Sports Role
Former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon’s next move has been revealed after he is to head up the international expansion of the sports arm of global management firm Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Kenyon joins CAA Sports’ leadership team and will be responsible for guiding the agency’s growth overseas in such areas as athlete representation, endorsements, sports properties for sales and sponsorship, media rights, and corporate consulting, among others.
Additionally, Kenyon will develop CAA Sports’ London operations, helping to build a dedicated international sales and management team.
In just three years since its inception, CAA Sports, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), has become a major player representation firm in the US, representing more than 500 athletes, coaches, broadcasters, and sports personalities.
CAA Sports also works in the areas of corporate marketing, broadcast rights, and sports properties sponsorships.
Kenyon, who remains a non-executive director of Chelsea, had been chief executive at Stamford Bridge under owner Roman Abramovich since 2004.
He built Chelsea FC into a global brand and most recently spearheaded the multi-million-dollar renegotiation of its jersey sponsorship deal with Samsung.
Prior to joining Chelsea FC, Kenyon was chief executive of Manchester United, where he secured Nike as team sponsor, bringing in £303m over 13 years; brokered a £30m sponsorship deal with Vodafone; and orchestrated a ground-breaking merchandising partnership with the New York Yankees.
CAA Sports has agents based in numerous international territories including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Russia, Japan, and Israel.
The agency has a global partnership with Gestifute, a leading sports management company, to represent a number of top stars including 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, Inter Milan coach José Mourinho, Anderson (Manchester United), Nani (Manchester United), and Deco (Chelsea FC), among many others.
Additionally, CAA Sports represents the commercial interests of clubs including Barcelona and Chelsea FC.
Kenyon will be based in CAA’s London office.
