Insider Sport’s weekly roundup of the key executive moves in the business of sport.
- Real Madrid has moved to add tennis great Rafael Nadal to its board of directors.
- CVC Capital Partners‘ Global Sport Group has named Warner Bros. Discovery executive Andrew Georgiou as its next CEO.
- CAF has confirmed Samson Adamu as its permanent General Secretary.
- Former MEDEF president Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux has taken charge of the Alpes 2030 organising committee.
- DAZN has hired Sinclair‘s Eric Welles to lead its North American ad sales, alongside six further commercial appointments.
Read this week’s Sideline Moves below.
Nadal set for Real Madrid board
Real Madrid‘s board of directors has agreed to appoint Rafael Nadal as a board member, subject to ratification by the club’s General Assembly of Delegate Members on 21 November.
Nadal, who retired from tennis in 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles, said he had accepted the offer “with great enthusiasm, keen to learn and contribute as much as I can.” The club, which lists Nadal as member number 67,778, said it was “an immense honor” that he, Nadal, would join the board.
The appointment of Nadal would take the board to 20 members under President Florentino Pérez, who won re-election in June. More than a third of voting members backed challenger Enrique Riquelme in that vote.
Nadal has been asked about the presidency before, though presidential candidates need 20 years of uninterrupted membership and a bank guarantee worth 15% of the club’s budget, backed by personal assets, a pre-requisite Nadal is yet to meet.
Georgiou to lead CVC’s Global Sport Group
Andrew Georgiou is leaving Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) after seven and a half years to become CEO of Global Sport Group (GSG), the sports investment platform of CVC Capital Partners. He starts in the first quarter of 2027.
GSG chair Marc Allera said Georgiou is “exactly the kind of CEO appointment that reflects our ambition for GSG.”
Georgiou ran WBD’s UK & Ireland business and its sport and streaming operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and has been Interim President of Europe and Africa since the merger with Paramount Skydance. At GSG he replaces Stefano Gastaut, who stays on the board and returns to his operating partner role at CVC.
GSG’s portfolio covers LaLiga, Ligue 1, Volleyball World, Prem Rugby, the United Rugby Championship, the Six Nations, WTA Ventures and Equine Network.
CAF confirms Adamu as General Secretary
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed Samson Adamu as General Secretary, ending an acting arrangement that began in March. The Executive Committee approved the appointment this week.
Adamu replaces Véron Mosengo-Omba, who resigned in March and now heads the football federation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the post was widely advertised and several candidates were interviewed.
Adamu joined CAF in 2018 as Director of Competitions and later became Director of Tournaments and Events. He takes over day-to-day administration ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, after CAF’s Executive Committee voted last week to keep the tournament on a two-year cycle.
Roux de Bézieux takes over Alpes 2030
The Olympic Alpes 2030 organising committee ended seven weeks of interim leadership on 2 November, when Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux took office as president. Stakeholders appointed him unanimously at an Extraordinary General Assembly near Lyon on 29 October.
Roux de Bézieux, president of French employers’ federation MEDEF from 2018 to 2023, has sat on the committee’s board since April. He succeeds Edgar Grospiron, who left in September; chief executive Vincent Roberti had covered the role on an interim basis. Roux de Bézieux described the post as “a commitment to work as a team to showcase sport and France.” The Games run from 1 to 17 February 2030.
DAZN hires Welles to lead North American ad sales
DAZN has made seven commercial hires in North America, led by Eric Welles as Executive Vice President, North American Ad Sales.
Welles joins from Sinclair, where he was Chief Digital Monetization Officer and Senior Vice President, Sports, Audio & Social. The six other appointments include Mike Mobley as SVP, National Sales, and Molly Marts, from NBCUniversal, as VP, Integrated Marketing. All report into Walker Jacobs, Global Chief Revenue Officer and President of DAZN US, who said DAZN is “investing significantly in building a world-class commercial organization” in the region.
Snapshot Moves
- Sussex Cricket has appointed Beth Barrett-Wild, Tournament Director of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, as CEO. She starts on 1 January 2027 and will be the club’s first female CEO.
- NRL expansion club the Perth Bears have appointed Tony Rea as CEO, effective immediately, replacing Anthony De Ceglie. Rea is a former North Sydney Bears captain and was CEO and head coach of Super League‘s London Broncos.
- X Games has appointed Paul Asencio as Chief Revenue Officer, effective 9 November. Asencio previously held commercial roles at UFC and Williams Racing and will report to CEO Jeremy Bloom.
- Seven Media Group has appointed Nick Bower to the new role of Commercial Director, Sport – TV, Audio & Streaming. Bower joins from Paramount Australia & New Zealand and starts in early 2027.
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, where Kathleen Kennedy took charge of LA28 ceremonies.
