Odgers Berndtson Appoints Head of U.S. Sports & Entertainment Practice
August 5, 2021 – Odgers Berndtson has named Drew Cloud as partner and head of the U.S. sports and entertainment practice based in New York. “We are thrilled that Drew has joined the firm to lead the U.S. sports practice,” said Steve Potter, CEO of Odgers Berndtson U.S. “His leadership roles at various teams across sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, helping them create and execute strategy around revenue growth and talent development, make him uniquely positioned to recruit senior leaders and provide human capital advisory services across the global sports ecosystem. The depth of Drew’s knowledge of the sports & entertainment industry allows him to immediately serve as a trusted advisor to our clients and to bring transformational leaders to world-class organizations.”
“Drew is a veteran sports executive having served in senior positions with various leagues including spending time in the NBA’s league office where he played a key role in the development of its revenue and transformation strategy,” said Simon Cummins, Odgers Berndtson’s global head of sports based in London and Zurich. “Having Drew as part of our global sports team based in the U.S. will bolster our international search capabilities and help us serve our current and future clients as they look to build their organizations to meet consumers’ expectations of rich, engaging, multichannel content.”
Mr. Cloud joins Odgers Berndtson after almost three years with RSR Partners, another executive search firm and 20-plus years as a sport industry leader. He also brings more than 20 years of relevant experience and insights, including chief business officer for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and chief sales and marketing officer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I am looking forward to bringing my unique combination of practical industry experience, advisory insights, and assessment skills to Odgers Berndtson and joining a global platform that is experienced working with the changing needs of the most significant federations, governing bodies, leagues, teams, agencies and content creators in the world,” said Mr. Cloud. “Odgers Berndtson’s reputation for collaboration, execution and innovation is the ideal fit for me. I am excited to blend my hands-on knowledge with innovative tools like OB Dynamics, IdenX and OrgShakers to develop comprehensive business solutions for our partners. I am delighted to be joining this distinctive team of executive search professionals.”
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
