SRi Opens New Office In Shanghai
January 29, 2018 – Executive search firm SRi has expanded its Asia operations with the launch of a Shanghai office and the addition of key staff to its Greater China team. The Greater China team, which is led by partner Ting Zhang, has seen growth of 25 percent over the past year thanks to senior search and advisory work across major sports, media and entertainment properties including AC Milan, IMG, Infront China, Riot Games and FOX.
The opening of SRi’s new Shanghai office is the result of unprecedented demand from clients in Greater China. The office will be led by newly added consultant Joshua Liu and Ms. Zhang.
Mr. Liu joins SRi from Global HR services firm Randstad where he specialized in the luxury and retail industries. Prior to Randstad, he built an extensive network in the lifestyle sector across Greater China. He is fluent in Mandarin and English.
“The past 12 months have been truly exceptional for our Greater China team and I’m excited to be able to expand our operations further to Shanghai and welcome Joshua to our team,” said Ms. Zhang. “I’m certain Joshua will be a vital resource for our growing list of Shanghai-based clients.”
Related: ZRG Partners Names Country Head for China
“I’m delighted to be joining SRi at such an exciting time for the business, both globally and within the Greater China region,” said Mr. Lui. “SRi has an unrivalled reputation in the sports, media and entertainment sectors and I’m looking forward to building upon the impressive foundations laid by the wider APAC team over the past few years.”
Sports Recruiting Finds Its Own Field of Dreams
Sports teams, from the professional level on down to college athletic programs, all now require a strong professional talent base. It’s not surprising that dozens of search firms compete hard for every plum assignment that surfaces.
International in Scope
SRi is an international executive search firm focused on the sports, media and entertainment sectors. It has wholly-owned offices in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
The firm has worked with some of the biggest brand names in media and sport to secure top talent over the course of its 20-year history. Among them: HBO, BSkyB, IMG Media, News Corp, Harvard Business Review, Taunton Press, F+W, Visible World, National Geographic, Andrews McMeel Publishing, Sunset + Vine, BBC America, Univision, Huffington Post, World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union, England and Wales Cricket Board, Wasserman, ESPN, Lagadere, Eurosport, Discovery Channel, BT Sport and the NBA.
Related: Recruiters Offer Sports Clients an Expanding Talent Platform
SRi’s clients include international rights holders, professional clubs & teams, international federations, governing bodies, corporate sponsors, venues, major events, broadcasters, media owners, agencies and sporting goods brands.
Entering the U.S.
Last year, SRiCheyenne was launched following the merger of the U.S.-based media and content recruitment provider, Cheyenne Group with SRi. “This merger was a significant landmark in the history of the firm and gives us a strong platform to grow the business in new markets and sectors,” said Mr. Chaplin. “The convergence of media, sports and entertainment continues to move at a rapid pace with an increasing transfer of talent between industries globally. The combination of SRi and he Cheyenne Group allows us to build an even more formidable offering and we can’t wait to get started.”
SRiCheyenne also named Jay Hussey as CEO, taking over for founder Pat Mastandrea, who has moved into a new role at the firm as vice chairman. Mr. Hussey boasts of more than 15 years in executive search with leading global recruiting firms. He joined SRiCheyenne from Odgers Berndtson where he led the firm’s U.S. technology and digital transformation practices.
An Expansive Field
The sports & entertainment field is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in executive search, with many C-suite-focused recruiting firms having been drawn to it. Some specialize only in sports, but all provide sports-related executive search and leadership advisory services. In addition to SRi, the firms include: Ascension Sports Partners, Prodigy Sports, Turnkey, Nolan Partners, CarrSports Consulting, Korn Ferry, Harvard Group International, Marquee Search, DHR International, Hartmann Mason, College Sports Solutions, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, Diversified Search, Odgers Berndtson, Eastman & Beaudine, Alden Associates, Parker Executive Search, Neinas Sports Services and Collegiate Sports Associates.
Related: Executive Recruiters Continue Their Expansion into the Sports Industry
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
