Odgers Berndtson APAC Names Head of Sport & Entertainment Practice
September 20, 2021 – Odgers Berndtson has named Troy de Haas as partner and head of its sports and entertainment practice for Asia-Pacific. “Troy joins us just as the Asia-Pacific region is gathering rapid momentum in hosting more and more major global events,” said Mark Braithwaite, managing director at Odgers Berndtson APAC. “As a firm, we have been operating globally in the sports sector for many years, but recent expansion of our team in the U.S. and now in APAC completes our capability to support global sports organizations in attracting the very best leadership talent.”
“We are all thrilled at someone of the caliber of Troy joining our ever-growing global team and especially in such a buoyant geography where exponential growth within our sector is being seen across the whole region,” said Simon Cummins, global head of sports, gaming, and media practice at Odgers Berndtson.
Mr. de Haas joins Odgers Berndtson after more than 20 years as a sport industry leader and former elite athlete. He brings more than 10 years of relevant experience and insights, including head of sports and marketing at BMC in Switzerland, director of sales and marketing at Thanyapura sports resort in Thailand before founding TDH Sport & Entertainment marketing agency in Hong Kong. In his new role with Odgers Berndtson, Mr. de Haas will work with clients across all subsectors of the sports and entertainment industry.
Mr. de Haas has represented Australia at the international level in mountain running and orienteering where he became the first ever non-European to medal at the world championship level.
“I am very excited to be joining forces with Odgers Berndtson to head up the sports and entertainment practice for Asia-Pacific throughout this unprecedented period,” said Mr. de Haas. “The region is set to boom over the coming decade with numerous major sports properties, brands and events heading this direction including World Cups, world championships and the of course the prestigious Brisbane 2032 Olympics.”
“Together with my experience and insight combined with Odgers Berndtson track-record which has included the IOC, IAAF, Rio 2016 Olympics, London 2012 Olympics we can forge a formidable presence,” he said. “I look forward to working with the most significant federations, governing bodies, leagues, teams and agencies to provide industry dedicated executive search tailored to Asia-Pacific with global capability.”
Odgers Berndtson delivers executive search, leadership assessment and development strategies to organizations globally. The firm’s 250-plus partners cover more than 50 sectors and operate out of 59 offices in 29 countries. The U.S. wing of the firm launched in 2011 and has been one of the fastest growing search firms in the Americas. It now ranks No. 12 on the Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Recruiters ranking. Odgers Berndtson currently has U.S. offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Recent Appointments
This summer, Odgers Berndtson named Ryna Young as partner and head of diversity. “We are proud to be a leader in our industry as we appoint Ryna Young as head of diversity,” said Carl Lovas, chair and chief executive officer of Odgers Berndtson Canada. “We are deeply committed to creating an equitable client and colleague experience. Welcoming Ryna to the team is just one more step in ensuring we live our organizational values.” Ms. Young brings 25 years of experience in executive and interim executive search, leadership development and succession management. She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. Having spent the majority of her career in recruitment, and navigating her own leadership journey, Ms. Young has witnessed firsthand how unconscious and systemic bias can affect the candidate and client experience, according to Odgers Berndtson.
Related: Odgers Berndtson Launches Health and Wellness Recruiting Practice
Odgers Berndtson recently named Lori Dyne as chief marketing officer. “Lori’s previous experience supporting the growth of executive search, interim executive and leadership advisory businesses, coupled with her keen understanding of how to leverage digital to deepen the client relationship, will play an important role in the ongoing growth of our business,” said Mr. Lovas. “Our clients are evolving at a tremendous pace and we need to innovate with them. Welcoming Lori to our team to help accelerate our digital journey in Canada is an important step in that process.”
Ms. Dyne brings to the firm a deep understanding of the value of an integrated approach to human capital management having previously held senior roles with national and global talent management firms. Most recently, she was regional vice president and national practice leader at Optimum Talent.
The firm also recently appointed Brad Beveridge as president of its Canadian business, responsible for leading the firm’s continued expansion and the growth of its executive search, executive interim and leadership advisory services. “Brad’s extensive experience as a search professional and business leader will be key to helping us continue to anticipate and support our client’s emerging leadership and talent needs,” said Mr. Lovas. “He brings a deep understanding of all aspects of our business and a strong track record of developing innovative solutions to the challenges facing organizations across the human capital spectrum. This is a very important step in our firm’s evolution.”
Related: Odgers Berndtson Adds Latin America Offices, Starts Blockchain Practice in U.S.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
