World Surf League Appoints Goldschmidt

The World Surf League (WSL) has appointed Sophie Goldschmidt as its new chief executive, taking over the role from interim CEO Dirk Ziff in August.

Ziff has been a stand-in for previous chief executive Paul Speaker, who stepped down in January.

Goldschmidt, who will relocate from London to Santa Monica, joins the organisation from CSM Sport and Entertainment, where she served as group managing director.

She has previously worked at England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU), where she was chief commercial and marketing officer, as well as at the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and adidas.

Goldschmidt commented: “It is an honour to lead the WSL. The league has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and has pioneered incredible innovations to transform surfing into a remarkable, digital-first and world class sport that naturally also transcends into the lifestyle sector so well.

“I am confident the future holds incredible potential and I am excited to lead WSL into its next phase of growth.”

Ziff added: “It has been my privilege to serve as interim CEO of the World Surf League during such an exciting and transformational time. It has always been my mission to hand over the reins to a leader who will take us to the next level.

“Sophie is exactly what the league needs – her experience, strong leadership and winning and inclusive management style will further elevate the league and grow engagement among fans around the world.”

Goldschmidt joins at an exciting time for the sport of surfing, which was one of five new sports added to the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020.