Hanold Associates Recruits Chief People Officer for Fanatics
November 15, 2022 – Hanold Associates HR & Diversity Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of Orlando Ashford as the new chief people officer of Fanatics in New York City. The search was led by Jason Hanold, Lisa Yae, Mayank Parikh, and Eleanor Tetreault. “Orlando is an outstanding person and business leader, who brings an exceptional sense of wisdom, innovation and drive to an already outstanding leadership team,” said Mr. Hanold. “Culture is everything and our success is directly related to our incredible associates based around the world,” said Michael Rubin, CEO. “As we continue to grow and expand, it becomes even more important to double down on organizational development, and I can’t think of a better person to lead this charge than Orlando. His vast experience running HR teams and his CEO level experience, with people and culture being the primary lens for how he’s managed and operated his businesses, will help us further develop our ambitions to build one of the world’s most transformative and exciting brands.”
Mr. Ashford brings a wealth of expertise to Fanatics and possesses a unique skill-set that includes leading both businesses and global HR organizations focused on culture, talent development and retention. He has held senior level HR roles with several Fortune 500 companies, including Marsh & McLennan Companies, The Coca-Cola Co., and Motorola Inc., before expanding his responsibilities beyond HR to become president of the Holland America Line. Prior to joining Fanatics, Mr. Ashford was a strategic advisor to Sycamore Partners, a private equity company specializing in retail and consumer investment, where he served as a thought leader, confidant, and coach to senior executives on human capital and business issues with the board, C-suite, and HR functions.
In this newly created role, Mr. Ashford will leverage his nearly three decades of C-suite experience in executive management, talent management, organization development, change management, and corporate human resources to lead the Company’s global HR, culture and talent strategy. In addition to his role as CPO and strategic advisor to the Fanatics executive team at large, Mr. Ashford will focus on expanding and advancing efforts across Fanatics’ principles of diversity and inclusion, as well as energizing philanthropic initiatives across the global workforce, including oversight of the Fanatics Foundation.
“From the moment I met Michael Rubin and listened to his vision for expanding the Fanatics business, which was rooted in empowering the company’s incredible global workforce and creating a world-class culture, I knew that this was the perfect place for me,” said Mr. Ashford. “Fanatics is a special company, one that I’ve long admired, where I can take my energy and expertise to further establish a diverse, platform-wide company culture comprised of the best and brightest people that want to be a part of a once-in-a-generation company.”
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Fanatics is a growing industry leader across the E-commerce, apparel manufacturing, and wholesale, memorabilia, collectibles, special event and in-stadium retail for the sports industry. The company now has relationships with more than 900 properties, including many of the sports world’s most prominent brands.
Respected HR Consultants
Hanold Associates is a boutique executive search firm focused on HR and diversity and inclusion officers. Its client list is diverse across industries, geographies, and business scenarios, and culture is at the core of everything the firm does. Its clients include the National Football League, Zoom, Domino’s Pizza, Under Armour, Gucci, Tom Brady’s TB12, Kohler, REI, Live Nation Entertainment, Dick’s Sporting Goods, McDonald’s, Major League Baseball, Kellogg, Apollo, Big Ten Conference, Blackstone, TPG, L Catterton, Northwestern University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Electronic Arts, Fiat-Chrysler, SC Johnson, eBay, Moderna, Hillrom, Great Place To Work, Fossil, Vail Resorts, AbbVie, Carnival Corp., Biogen, Allstate, Bridgestone, Wikimedia, ClubCorp, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Ford Motor Co., among others.
Hanold Associates Recruits Chief People and Culture Officer for Major League Baseball
Hanold Associates HR & Diversity Executive Search has placed Michele Meyer-Shipp as chief people and culture officer for Major League Baseball. Jason Hanold, CEO and co-managing partner of the search firm, led the assignment. “Michele is an exceptional leader and an inspirational person,” said Mr. Hanold. “She will have an incredibly positive impact on Major League Baseball in this newly created role within the commissioner’s office.”
Mr. Hanold, CEO and managing partner, founded the search firm in 2010. Previously, he served as a managing director with Russell Reynolds Associates, where he led the firm’s global human resources officer practice and was a member of the board of directors and CEO practices. Before that he held talent and recruiting positions with Whirlpool, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and State Farm.
Ms. Yae is managing partner of the retail and luxury goods practice at Hanold Associates. She specializes in recruiting executive level HR leaders across industries, with a core focus on fashion, luxury brands, retail merchandise, and the broader consumer industry.
Mr. Parikh focuses on recruiting HR leadership talent to organizations undergoing significant transformations. He has held progressive roles within the firm, having first joined as a summer intern while a student at Northwestern University. Prior to joining Hanold Associates, he interned for Mission Measurement, a consulting firm that specializes in advisory for non-profits and corporate social responsibility departments at major companies. Before that, he was a research fellow for the Institute for Policy Research where he worked on one of the world’s premiere early childhood education studies.
Ms. Tetreault is an associate at Hanold Associates. She focuses on recruiting HR talent and diversity, equity and inclusion leaders across industries and geographies. Prior to joining Hanold Associates, she worked as an admissions fellow at Kenyon College where she interviewed and assessed prospective students, presented at information sessions, and organized visit days and events. Ms. Tetreault received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in anthropology from Kenyon.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
