SportBusiness, the leading provider of data, insight and analysis in the business of sport, today announces the next stage of its evolution with a series of major hires to its management and editorial team.  The announcements follow a year of significant improvements to SportBusiness, which include a major product upgrade, the launch of a new brand identity, the new partnership with Sportel and the establishment of a new office in the United States.

Appointment of Roberto Dalmiglio as Chief Executive Officer

Roberto Dalmiglio assumes the position of Chief Executive Officer of SportBusiness, effective January 1^st 2019.  He replaces Ben Speight who transitions into a new senior position in the business following a long-term succession plan.  Roberto is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded business leader who has been working in the business of sport and media for over 25 years. In that time, he has worked in a variety of global commercial roles including, until September of this year, Chief Executive Officer of the World Boxing Super Series, and – prior to its sale in 2016 – as Chief Commercial Officer at MP & Silva.  Before that, he managed media rights at UEFA where he was focused on developing and implementing its media rights strategy.  The combination of over twenty years of international experience and commercial success in the business of sport makes Roberto an ideal candidate to drive the Group’s next stage of growth.

Creation of new Global Head of Business Development position

From January 2019, Ben Speight moves into a new strategic role of Global Head of Business Development at SportBusiness.  Ben and the Chairman of SBG Companies Ltd, Marco Auletta, have identified this new role on the senior management team focused on establishing and developing business with key external partners, with the aim to offer broader, higher quality services to clients. In this role, Ben will report directly to the CEO and the Board.

Group Editorial Director

SportBusiness also announces the appointment of Kevin Roberts as its new Group Editorial Director starting from January 2019.  Kevin is the Founding Editor of SportBusiness International and a well-known figure in the sector and brings with him a wealth of experience of the world of sport business publishing.  Kevin will lead the editorial team and will support the international expansion of the Group.

On behalf of SBG Companies Limited, Marco Auletta said of the changes:

“We are delighted that Roberto has decided to join SportBusiness as CEO.  Roberto is well-known and highly-respected across the sports sector.  His deep international, commercial and analytical knowledge of the market will be extremely useful to further offer even more high-quality editorial, data-driven services to clients.  The support of Ben in identifying and activating new external partnerships will be essential to the growth of the Group.  Equally, the appointment of Kevin as new Group Editorial Director, reinforces the already strong editorial team.

Commenting on his appointment, Roberto Dalmiglio said:

“I have not only admired SportBusiness from the outside over many years, but I have been an avid consumer of its high-quality data-driven products and services throughout my career in the business of sport.  It has a fantastic team of talented writers and specialists who I’m really looking forward to working with and I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead the internationalisation of SportBusiness in the years ahead.”

Commenting on his new role, Ben Speight said:

“It has been a great privilege to lead the business for the last five years and especially in the last 18 months since the acquisition, a time in which a great deal has been achieved with the support of the shareholders. There has always been a plan for me to move into a new role within SportBusiness and I am delighted to take on the exciting opportunity of building strategic partnerships for the Group, like that we have already agreed with SPORTEL for the creation of our new Sports Decisions Makers Summit series.”