This week in the sports media and marketing ecosystem, Shaun McInnis announces his departure from Twitch, Jessica Mendoza signs a ground-breaking new ESPN contract, and Katie Lavin is named as National Lacrosse League’s new Vice President of Marketing.
For job openings and more on who’s moving where, check out the Hashtag Sports Weekly roundup.
After spending four years as Twitch’s Senior Business Development Manager, Shaun McInnis has announced he’ll be leaving the company. During his time, McInnis was tasked with building productive partnerships with top tier game companies, identifying and evaluating strategic business agreements, as well as serving as the internal advocate for game company partners. McInnis plans on taking a break as he figures out what lies ahead for him in the next chapter of his life.
Marty Summa Jr has announced that this will be his final week at the University of Maryland. Summa Jr has spent his entire professional working career with the University, but is now looking to explore opportunities outside of college athletics. He has spent over 8 years with the Terps and has had numerous roles in the social & digital media sphere, leading up to his current role in being the University’s Senior Director of Social/Digital Media & Branding.
The National Lacrosse League has announced that Katie Lavin will be the league’s new Vice President of Marketing. A veteran in the brand, sports and event marketing space, Lavin brings over 16 years of experience to the NLL, having held senior marketing roles at 20th Century Fox Filmed Entertainment, Wasserman Media Group, mcgarrybowen, and Wunderman Thompson. Most recently she was working as a consultant for brands that included SundaySky, Weatherman umbrellas, and the Potential Energy Coalition.
Jessica Mendoza has signed a new contract at ESPN — one which will both increase her profile at the network and help her make history. She’ll become the first woman to serve as a solo analyst for a national package of MLB games, including ESPN’s season-opening coverage, weeknight games and holiday baseball. Her first game assignment of 2020 is ESPN’s March 2 spring training telecast when the Chicago Cubs host the Los Angeles Angels. Her first regular-season game this year is March 30.
MKTG, Dentsu Aegis Network’s leading global lifestyle marketing agency, has appointed Victoria Azarian as its new Chief Creative Officer for the U.S. Azarian will lead the charge for the creative output of all of MKTG’s integrated, business-oriented marketing solutions. She has had a successful career at Ogilvy New York for the past 15 years, serving as Executive Creative Director and a member of the Executive Leadership team and Worldwide Creative Council.
Bespoke Sports & Entertainment has hired Suzanne Boyd and Allie Mowbray to help manage its Client Experiences team, which plans and executes creative entertainment, hospitality and live events on behalf of brands. Boyd joins Bespoke as an Account Director after she spent 15 years managing large-scale brand partnerships and activations at GMR Marketing and more recently serving as Executive Director of Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation. Mowbray joins Bespoke as an Account Coordinator. She has extensive experience in both promotions and fan services including stints with Clemson University, the Charlotte Knights and the Carolina Panthers.
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