Fragmentsofme
11-24-2003, 12:28 PM
The Atlanta Braves organization announces new Executive Leadership team
Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves chairman and president Terence F. McGuirk today announced his new executive leadership team for the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.-owned franchise.
Longtime Braves executive vice president and general manager John Schuerholz will continue to oversee all aspects of baseball operations and player personnel, with Mike Plant named to serve as executive vice president of business operations and Derek Schiller named senior vice president of sales and marketing. Schuerholz, Plant and Schiller report to McGuirk.
"The sale of the Hawks and Thrashers franchises and operating rights to Philips Arena has afforded us an opportunity to assess the leadership structure of the Atlanta Braves and make some strategic changes to the way we manage the organization," said McGuirk. "I am delighted to now be able to focus my full attention and energy on the Braves, and to work alongside John Schuerholz, the most successful and most respected general manager in baseball. Joining us are a sports-operations professional with more than 20 years' experience managing venues and events around the world and the sales and marketing executive responsible for the extraordinarily successful positioning of Atlanta's professional hockey franchise. Together, we look forward to working with the entire Braves organization, the Atlanta community and Braves fans everywhere."
McGuirk also announced that two veteran Braves executives will continue with the organization in new capacities. William Bartholomay is assuming the title of chairman emeritus, charged with representing the franchise to key constituencies, including Major League Baseball owners meetings. Bob Wolfe, formerly senior vice president of the Braves, will serve as an operational adviser to McGuirk and the franchise.
"The ability of this management team to draw on the experience, knowledge and relationships that our longtime colleagues Bill and Bob possess will prove invaluable to our organization going forward and will further ensure the seamless leadership transition that is our goal and expectation," McGuirk added.
Schuerholz, who has spent 13 seasons with the Braves, is the longest-tenured general manager in the Major Leagues. Since Schuerholz joined the Braves organization from the Kansas City Royals in October 1990, the Braves have won 12 division titles, five National League pennants and a World Series, and have surpassed the three-million attendance mark six times.
Previously executive vice president of Turner Sports, Plant served as president of Turner Broadcasting's Goodwill Games, the international multisport competition held in locations including Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Brisbane, Australia; and New York City, Seattle and Lake Placid.
Earlier in his career, Plant ran his own successful sports marketing firm, Medalist Sports. A member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic speed skating team, Plant served in various capacities for the U.S. Olympic Committee; was a member of the board of directors of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games; and was president of USA Cycling from 1995 to 2002.
Schiller was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for the Atlanta Thrashers. He joined the Thrashers organization in 1998 to oversee ticket sales, corporate sales, broadcasting, licensing & merchandising, community relations and overall marketing of the franchise.
Previously, he was vice president of business development for the New York Yankees and executive director of Atlanta's International Sports Plaza for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. In his new role, Schiller will work in collaboration with the Turner entertainment networks and Turner Sports to develop and implement key marketing strategies and plans for the Braves.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming to the basic cable industry.
Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves chairman and president Terence F. McGuirk today announced his new executive leadership team for the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.-owned franchise.
Longtime Braves executive vice president and general manager John Schuerholz will continue to oversee all aspects of baseball operations and player personnel, with Mike Plant named to serve as executive vice president of business operations and Derek Schiller named senior vice president of sales and marketing. Schuerholz, Plant and Schiller report to McGuirk.
"The sale of the Hawks and Thrashers franchises and operating rights to Philips Arena has afforded us an opportunity to assess the leadership structure of the Atlanta Braves and make some strategic changes to the way we manage the organization," said McGuirk. "I am delighted to now be able to focus my full attention and energy on the Braves, and to work alongside John Schuerholz, the most successful and most respected general manager in baseball. Joining us are a sports-operations professional with more than 20 years' experience managing venues and events around the world and the sales and marketing executive responsible for the extraordinarily successful positioning of Atlanta's professional hockey franchise. Together, we look forward to working with the entire Braves organization, the Atlanta community and Braves fans everywhere."
McGuirk also announced that two veteran Braves executives will continue with the organization in new capacities. William Bartholomay is assuming the title of chairman emeritus, charged with representing the franchise to key constituencies, including Major League Baseball owners meetings. Bob Wolfe, formerly senior vice president of the Braves, will serve as an operational adviser to McGuirk and the franchise.
"The ability of this management team to draw on the experience, knowledge and relationships that our longtime colleagues Bill and Bob possess will prove invaluable to our organization going forward and will further ensure the seamless leadership transition that is our goal and expectation," McGuirk added.
Schuerholz, who has spent 13 seasons with the Braves, is the longest-tenured general manager in the Major Leagues. Since Schuerholz joined the Braves organization from the Kansas City Royals in October 1990, the Braves have won 12 division titles, five National League pennants and a World Series, and have surpassed the three-million attendance mark six times.
Previously executive vice president of Turner Sports, Plant served as president of Turner Broadcasting's Goodwill Games, the international multisport competition held in locations including Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Brisbane, Australia; and New York City, Seattle and Lake Placid.
Earlier in his career, Plant ran his own successful sports marketing firm, Medalist Sports. A member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic speed skating team, Plant served in various capacities for the U.S. Olympic Committee; was a member of the board of directors of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games; and was president of USA Cycling from 1995 to 2002.
Schiller was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for the Atlanta Thrashers. He joined the Thrashers organization in 1998 to oversee ticket sales, corporate sales, broadcasting, licensing & merchandising, community relations and overall marketing of the franchise.
Previously, he was vice president of business development for the New York Yankees and executive director of Atlanta's International Sports Plaza for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. In his new role, Schiller will work in collaboration with the Turner entertainment networks and Turner Sports to develop and implement key marketing strategies and plans for the Braves.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming to the basic cable industry.