Longtime sponsorship executive PAUL ASENCIO is joining Playfly Sports as EVP/Global Partnerships. Asencio starts the new position today, will be based in Playfly’s Manhattan offices, and report directly to CEO CRAIG SLOAN. Asencio was most recently CRO for Williams Racing. Prior that he spent six years at UFC, rising to SVP/Global Partnerships. He spent two years as Fanatics VP/Venue Business Development, and 17 with the Mets from 1998 to 2015, climbing from sponsorship account executive to SVP/Corporate Partnerships Sales & Services (Terry Lefton, SBJ).
Octagon promoted SVP/Communications & Social Media ALYSSA ROMANO to CMO/Talent & Properties. Romano, a SBJ Game Changers honoree in 2022, has been serving with the company for over 14 years in various marketing and communications roles (SBJ). In this newly created position, Romano will oversee communications, social media and creative for the agency’s talent representation business. She will continue to report directly to Octagon founder & President PHIL DE PICCIOTTO (Octagon).
Sphere Entertainment Co. named AGBO President/Production Technology GLENN DERRY EVP of MSG Ventures. He will be based at Sphere Studios in Burbank, Calif., and report to Sphere Entertainment Exec Chair & CEO JIM DOLAN. Prior to joining AGBO, Derry served as VP/Visual Effects at 20th Century Fox Studios following the acquisition of Technoprops, an R&D firm where he was the founder and CEO (Sphere Entertainment).
The Raiders named MARK THEWES SVP/Football Operations & Strategy. Thewes spent the past 16 seasons with the Broncos, where he most recently served as VP/Football Operations & Compliance from 2020-24 after serving as Dir/Team Administration from 2012-19. He also served on the Broncos' Diversity and Inclusion Committee and managed the club’s diversity coaching and scouting programs (Raiders).
X Games named U.S. freestyle skier KRISTI LESKINEN Dir/Alumni Relations (X Games).
CAA Sports has added Saracens Group Commercial Dir LUCY ENGLANDER to its Property Sales division while JONATHAN DAVIES joins the Executive Search division as Partner. Prior to Saracens Group, Englander held senior sponsorship positions at Samsung and Progressive Sports & Entertainment Marketing. Davies has served as Media Group Dir at Saatchi & Saatchi; EVP & Chief Commercial Officer at CNN International; and Managing Dir/Global Commercial & Marketing Partnerships at Eurosport and Discovery International (CAA Sports).
CAA Sports promoted LIANNE ADAMOPOULOS to Property Sales Exec at CAA Sports APAC, TOM BROOKE to Sports Property Sales Exec, and OLIVER ACUTT to Exec in Sports Talent Sales (CAA Sports).
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