Industry Moves

Gabriel Catrina, chief financial officer at Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group, has died suddenly after a short illness
USA

The Walt Disney Company’s board of directors has elected Susan Arnold, its longest-serving member, as its new chair, as Bob Iger severs his ties with the company at the end of the year.
USA

Tech services firm to have heightened focus on relationships, culture

L’Équipe, the French media and publishing group, has recruited Emilie Montané, director of media and production at the French Tennis Federation (FFT), as director of strategy and development.

The English Premier League’s head of media sales for Asia-Pacific, Michael Edelston, is leaving the organisation to take up a senior media-rights role at Formula E.

Daniel von Busse, chief operating officer at Sport1, is to leave the German sports broadcaster, it has been reported

Barney Francis, the former managing director of Sky Sports, has been recruited as executive vice-president, global production at the IMG agency

WAVE.tv, the California-based digital sports media company, has initiated a recruitment process for a director of rights partnerships to lead its negotiations with sports rights-holders, media companies and “other IP owners” worldwide.
USA

Online retail and streaming giant Amazon has hired Mike Muriano, formerly of NFL Network, to lead its US-based live sports production

A reorganisation in the sports department at Canal Plus, the French pay-television broadcaster, is to lead to the departure of Didier Lahaye, deputy director of sports, it has been reported
USA

US-based subscription streaming platform FloSports has kicked off a recruitment process to find a senior director of global rights acquisition

The IMG agency has appointed Gus Williamson, former head of rugby union at Sky Sports, and Mike Norrish, previously of rival UK pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, to leading positions at Premier League…

Pixotope, a leading provider of mixed reality production solutions, has appointed Sam Leadsom as vice-president of global business development in sports

Sportway, the automated production and live streaming firm, has bolstered its commercial team with the hiring of sports industry veterans, Kim Bernhard and Martin Englund, as it seeks to continue expansion…

Fight Network, the international combat sports channel, has appointed Adrian Clark as a consultant as it seeks to develop new boxing programming and relaunch its mobile app to support growth on new platforms

Trevor East, the experienced sports media executive and former chairman of the Pitch International agency, has joined the board of directors at English football side Plymouth Argyle