Shorts: Atp, Southampton, Rangers
The ATP has confirmed that Andrea Gaudenzi has been re-elected as the Chairman of the organisation.
Gaudenzi has held the position since January 2020 and, by serving in second term, will continue in the role until 2026.
“It’s an honour to be appointed for a second term as ATP Chairman, and continue serving the sport that has given me so much,” said Gaudenzi. “I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved since 2020, during a particularly challenging time for the world. OneVision has strengthened the ATP’s foundation, fostering a genuine partnership between players and tournaments. As we enter the second phase of our strategy, I am more convinced than ever that our sport has huge upside, and that we are well positioned to take advantage of the digital age. Together with the ATP Board and our members, I am committed to making our vision a reality in the coming years.”
Southampton Football Club has announced the appointment of Phil Parsons as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Parsons, who will start in the role in July, joins from Dyson, where he spent 15 years in a number of senior leadership roles. Most recently he served as President for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Regarding his appointment, Parsons said, “I am delighted to be joining Southampton FC as the new CEO. The owners have been extremely open with me, sharing their learnings and challenges from last season, and importantly their bold and ambitious goals for the future. I am attracted to the project, to bounce back stronger and rebuild, with a clear focus to get the club back to the Premier League.
“Together as an organisation, we will do the best we can for the fans aiming to move forward in all areas. I look forward to meeting fans and people associated with the club over the next couple of months.”
Rangers has announced the appointment of Karim Virani as the club’s new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
Karim joins the club from Socios.com, where he was Director of Global Partnerships, having previously served as Chief Commercial Officer for English Premier League side West Ham United.
Fifty Digital has announced the appointment of Jamie Kilkenny as its first Chief Finance Officer.
Kilkenny joins from ad agency Iris where he served in a shared CFO role.
According to a statement, the appointment signals ‘the agency’s intentions to invest in top industry talent as the agency scales to support significant client investments, and large-scale global campaigns’
Kilkenny said, “The vision for the business, passion for the work and energy of the team at Fifty Digital impressed me straight away. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help achieve its ambitions, and with an independent structure in place anything is possible.”
Rebecca McNeil has been appointed as the new Chair of the Women’s Sport Trust (WST) Board.
Currently the CEO of Close Brothers’ retail division, Rebecca will be officially confirmed in role at the charity’s AGM in September.
Regarding her appointment, McNeil said, “This is an exciting time to be involved in women’s sport and I can’t wait to get started. The Women’s Sport Trust is a trusted voice and the organisation has driven progress in the industry thanks to the breadth of work it does, including reporting on the visibility of women’s sport and supporting female athletes. I’m looking forward to supporting Tammy and her team so they can continue to drive forward the industry through its amazing work.”
Ahead of the upcoming Vitality Netball World Cup in South Africa, England Netball and Nike have unveiled brand new home and away kits for the Vitality Roses, plus the launch of a new fan range.
According to a statement, the new dress – which was developed collaboratively by Vitality Roses players, the England Netball performance team and Nike’s design experts – ‘blends style, functionality and performance.’
Fran Connolly, Chief Executive of England Netball said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Nike to unveil this exceptional dress that perfectly embodies the identity of the Vitality Roses. Our collaboration has allowed us to combine both performance-driven features with a visually stunning design that truly reflects our ambition and determination to succeed on the world stage.
“I know our Roses will feel very proud when they get to wear this new dress for the very first time. This new kit represents their collective journey and the countless stories that have brought them to this point with only a few weeks to go now until the event gets underway. The countdown is very much on, and we cannot wait for the entire Netball family to get behind our wonderful team.”
Law firm Brabners has been announced as the official legal partner of the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships, which will take place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre from 31st July to 6th August.
According to a statement, ‘the partnership builds on Brabners’ award-winning commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.’
Lydia Edgar, Partner and Head of Sports sector at Brabners said, “We are proud to be partnering with the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships. We have huge respect for the Championships having represented British Swimming for many years and we’re pleased to play our part in bringing Para swimming to a global audience from the North.”
Safraz Ali, formerly the Head of Marketing & Communications at Roc Nation, has joined Creative Artists Agency as an Account Director – Communications within its Brand Consulting division.
In a LinkedIn post, Ali said, “After an incredible year at Roc Nation, my time has come to an end.
“Very grateful to have formed lifelong friendships, delivered global PR campaigns & told the authentic stories of some stellar athletes.
“Now it’s time for a new adventure. It fills me with great pride to announce that I’ll be joining the incredible team at Creative Artists Agency as an Account Director for Communications within their Brand Consulting division.
“Very excited for this next chapter. Let’s get it! 🙌🏽“
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