SRiCheyenne Expands North American Sports Recruiting Practice
May 15, 2018 – SRiCheyenne has undergone a wave of growth since its creation last year with the merger of the Cheyenne Group and SRi. Recently, the firm brought aboard a new partner, Glenn Horine, to focus on developing the firm’s North American sports practice.
Mr. Horine previously led his own sports & entertainment consulting practice, H & H Consulting, for the last 10 years while also managing Iona College’s (NY) well-regarded sports, entertainment and media business program that he founded in 2007. Before his career in consulting and academia, Mr. Horine gained sales and marketing experience at the executive level on both the sports property and agency side, working with the National Football League, FIFA World Cup, National Hockey League, Arena Football League and Madison Square Garden, among other properties.
“Glenn is one of the most well-connected people in the North American sports business market and I’m delighted to welcome him to SRiCheyenne at such an exciting time in our business,” said Jay Hussey, CEO of SRiCheyenne. “Our colleagues throughout the SRi group have been the boutique search firm of choice for sports businesses around the world for the past two decades. Glenn’s arrival signals the next stage in our evolution – developing our North American sports practice.
“Glenn’s unique experience as a sports industry executive coupled with his research and strategic work at Iona and his broad network of senior executive relationships, will be of huge benefit to both current and future clients,” he said.
Evolving Sports Landscape
Mr. Horine said this is an exciting time to be involved with the sports industry. “The world of sport is changing in unprecedented ways – from new data and analytic technologies to the rise of alternative media/distribution platforms to profound shifts in fan demographics and attention spans,” he said. “We are experiencing an unprecedented demand for senior-level executives with broader skill sets and proven marketplace agility. Clients are seeking leaders who can successfully navigate marketplace change, while simultaneously managing company stability.”
Related: Recruiters Offer Sports Clients an Expanding Talent Platform
SRi, along with North American-facing brand SRiCheyenne, has worked with some of the biggest names in global sports to secure top talent over its 20-year history, including, Chelsea FC, Manchester City FC, World Rugby, La Liga, New York Red Bulls, Portland Timbers, Los Angeles Clippers, the Rugby Football Union, England and Wales Cricket Board, Football Federation Australia, McLaren Racing, the PGA Tour, ESPN, America’s Cup and the NBA. Its 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.
Sports and Entertainment Expansion Elevating Search Business
Over the last quarter century, the sports sector has grown into a formidable global industry. Historically, professional sports teams operated on a relatively modest level, with league officials, team owners, managers, and coaches surrounding themselves with people they knew and trusted from their own small worlds. College sports teams relied on in-house search committees and word-of-mouth recommendations. Much of that has forever changed.
Teams with tremendous followings like the Dallas Cowboys, Real Madrid and Manchester United have seen their valuations soar into the billions of dollars. That’s attracted search firms – big time. Seasoned recruiters now provide strategic planning advice, in addition to talent identification services, with the capability of applying their findings to speed along the process in the hunt for talent. Here’s some further reading from Hunt Scanlon Media.
Newly Combined Firm
SRiCheyenne was recently launched following the merger of the U.S.-based media and content recruitment provider, Cheyenne Group, and UK-headquartered SRi (formerly Sports Recruitment International). “This merger is 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 Jim Chaplin, CEO of SRi Group at the time. “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 the Cheyenne Group allows us to build an even more formidable offering and we can’t wait to get started.”
Related: Executive Recruiters Continue Their Expansion into the Sports Industry
The firm just recently named Ashling O’Connor as a partner and leader of the media, content and digital practice in EMEA. Her focus is to continue SRi’s work in these areas, while ensuring that the growing links between the disciplines are developed in a global context. Since leaving journalism in 2014, Ms. O’Connor has advised on senior executive and board appointments globally for content-driven companies including FTSE100, FTSE250, Fortune 500, family-owned and private equity-backed businesses. She joined the firm from media and entertainment-focused search boutique Inzito Partnership.
Last year, SRiCheyenne also named Mr. Hussey as CEO, taking over for founder Pat Mastandrea, who has moved into a new role at the firm as vice chairman. Mr. Hussey has 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.
SRiCheyenne is well positioned to address a rapidly evolving global marketplace that demands executive leaders who can navigate new digital and data-driven business models and consumer platforms, said Ms. Mastandrea. “Jay’s experience in digital and technology, both as a business leader and as an executive search professional, gives us even stronger capabilities with which to help our clients.”
Related: Executive Search Gets ‘On the Ball’ In Sports Recruitment
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
