Welcome to Sideline Moves, Insider Sport’s weekly roundup spotlighting the key moves that are shaping the business of sport.
Cadillac has made a change at the top of its F1 operation, appointing Marcin Budkowski as team principal, while Xavi Hernández has taken charge of the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, WTA Ventures has added Julie Haddon to its board, with Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari set to step down at the end of the season.
Cadillac names Budkowski as team principal
Cadillac has appointed Marcin Budkowski as team principal, with the former Alpine executive director taking charge of the Formula 1 team.
Budkowski will make his debut in the role at the Dutch Grand Prix on 21-23 August, when the championship resumes following its summer break. This position sees him return to an F1 leadership position after leaving Alpine in 2022.
Cadillac F1 CEO, Dan Towriss, said Budkowski’s arrival would support the team’s development.
“Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership,” Towriss said, adding that the appointment would help Cadillac develop the “tools and processes required for long-term success.”
Budkowski succeeds Graeme Lowdon, who had led Cadillac’s F1 project since December 2024. He oversaw preparations for its grid debut and the recruitment of drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Cadillac described the change as a “planned leadership transition”. The team is yet to score a point from its first 11 F1 races of the season.
Xavi Hernández takes charge of Netherlands
Xavi Hernández has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands men’s national team, replacing Ronald Koeman on a contract running through to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The former FC Barcelona midfielder moves into international management after previously coaching Al-Sadd in Qatar and FC Barcelona, where he won the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga during the 2022/23 season.
Xavi will be responsible for leading the Netherlands into a new cycle, with the KNVB highlighting his coaching philosophy and experience at the highest level of the game.
The Spaniard said his links to Dutch football date back to his development at Barcelona, where he was influenced by coaches including Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels, Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.
“You could say I am, in a way, a son of Dutch football,” Xavi said.
Xavi’s coaching staff will be finalised in the coming weeks, with the new head coach confirming that Dutch representation will form part of the setup.
Julie Haddon joins WTA Ventures board
Julie Haddon has joined the WTA Ventures Board of Directors after holding senior marketing and commercial positions at the NFL and NWSL.
Haddon previously served as senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing at the NFL, before becoming the first chief marketing officer and later chief commercial cfficer of the NWSL.
Her career has also included senior roles at DreamWorks Animation, eBay and PayPal, while she has advised the founding teams of Twitter and SoFi. Most recently, Haddon served on the board of FuboTV during its business combination with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV.
WTA Ventures was established in 2023 through a partnership between the WTA and CVC Capital Partner. It has since expanded its commercial portfolio, including partnerships with Rolex, Accenture and Mercedes-Benz.
Haddon said women’s tennis had a “massive, engaged global fan base” and athletes who “transcend the sport itself”.
“That combination makes the WTA one of the most exciting assets in sports today,” she added.
Sanjay Bhandari to step down as Kick It Out chair
Sanjay Bhandari will leave his position as chair of Kick It Out at the end of the 2026/27 English football season, ending an eight-year tenure at the equality charity.
Bhandari was appointed in 2019 and has spearheaded changes to the organisation’s governance and structure, including the appointment of a new board and leadership team.
He also led the launch of Kick It Out’s five-year Football United strategy in 2025 and oversaw the appointment of chief executive Samuel Okafor the previous year.
The charity will start the search for Bhandari’s successor, with a preferred candidate expected to be identified by December 2026. The incoming chair will then work with Bhandari during a transition period before formally taking over on 1 July 2027.
“It has been a tremendous honour to chair Kick It Out,” Bhandari said. “Our ‘Football United’ strategy is deliberately built on a vision of bringing together governing bodies, clubs, players, supporters, communities and partners to create lasting change.”
He concluded that the next chair would have an important role in delivering that strategy.
Snapshot Moves
- PGA Tour has hired former NFL executive Will Deng as SVP of media strategy, reuniting him with CEO Brian Rolapp ahead of the next media rights cycle.
- BIG EAST has appointed Tim Brosnan as commissioner, with the former MLB executive and Georgetown student-athlete succeeding Val Ackerman from 1 September.
- Nottinghamshire Chief Executive Richard Kenyon has resigned after less than a year to replace Daniel Gidney as chief executive of Lancashire, with Michael Temple taking over on an interim basis.
- Montell Douglas has joined the Personal Best Foundation as an ambassador, supporting the charity’s work to expand athletics opportunities for young people in underserved communities.
- Neymar Jr. has become a global ambassador for Lifefit, a new digital health platform for healthcare guidance, nutrition coaching and fitness programmes.
- Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have signed partnerships with ŌURA, using its health and recovery data as they prepare for the US Open.
We’re spotlighting the movers and shakers shaping the sports business every Friday.
Submit your people moves to Insider Sport’s Editor, Louis Thompsett, at [email protected] to be featured in the next edition of Sideline Moves.
Catch up on last week’s Sideline Moves to learn who will replace long-standing MLS commissioner Don Garber.
