MP & Silva Names New President & CEO

MP & Silva has appointed Seamus O’Brien as president and group chief executive officer, effective January 1, 2018, while former CEO Jochen Lösch transitions to a senior consultant at the company.

O’Brien has more than three decades of experience in the international sports industry around the globe. He started his career at CSI before setting up World Sport Group, of which he sold his majority stake to Lagardère Group in 2008. He continued to lead World Sport Group as executive chairman until 2015. He also served as deputy chairman of the executive committee of Lagardère’s sports and entertainment division.

Lösch noted: “I am very grateful to the shareholders that they gave me the opportunity to lead such a great company. My special thanks go to Riccardo Silva and the MP & Silva staff, which always supported me 100 percent. I am glad that I can continue working with MP & Silva as a consultant focusing mainly on ventures in Latin America. There are plenty of opportunities coming up, and MP & Silva is very well-positioned to grab them.”

Larry Feng, chairman of MP & Silva, stated: “First of all, I would like to thank Jochen Lösch for the contribution he made to MP & Silva as CEO. He led the business at a time of profound change and is to be thanked for his professionalism and dedication throughout his tenure as CEO. The appointment of Seamus O’Brien is a tremendous step for MP & Silva. Seamus is a pioneer with a fantastic reputation and is a man who instinctively understands the market we are in and the growth territories of the future. His experience of building strong international profiles for sports properties will be a huge asset to the company, our partners and our customers. This appointment is a fantastic reflection of the ambition we have to ensure MP & Silva remains as one of the world’s leading media rights companies.”

O’Brien added: “I am delighted to join MP & Silva as president and group CEO. This is a business which, through its staff, founders and owners, has established a reputation for its entrepreneurial spirit and dynamism, and it’s those qualities which I hope I can also bring to the role of president and group CEO. The shareholders and members of the board, including people I have known and respected for many years, are incredibly ambitious with a great vision for the company. By working with the talented team they have built and utilizing the extensive global network at our disposal, I am very confident that exciting times are ahead for MP & Silva.”