The European Tour has gone to North America for its fourth chief executive with Canadian sports media figure Keith Pelley the man to succeed George O’Grady.
Pelley (51) is currently the president of Rogers Media, the dominant sports TV and communications group in Canada. He was previously in charge of Canada’s TV consortium covering the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and was also a former team president of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts.
It’s something of a surprise move by the Tour, which was expected to opt for a golf insider to succeed O’Grady, who announced he would be retiring back in November once a successor was identified.
However, the future direction of the Tour is clearly indicated by their choice of Pelley, who has been at the forefront of TV and media rights negotiations in a number of different sports and has most recently been head of an organisation that encompasses 12 national and 42 regional TV stations, 51 radio stations, 56 publications, 300 digital properties plus the Toronto Blue Jays, Canada’s sole Major League Baseball team.
Pelley was closely involved in the largest sports rights deal in Canadian history, acquiring the exclusive rights to National Hockey League games in Canada for the Rogers organisation at a cost of £3.5 billion over 12 years.
It’s clearly this experience over 30 years in dealing with sports rights across all forms of modern media that has attracted the Tour, as chairman David Williams commented.
“I’m delighted to welcome Keith as our new chief executive,” he said.
“He has a proven track record and outstanding leadership skills in both sport and media which will be invaluable as we continue to further develop our strategy.
“Throughout the interview process, it was clear Keith has a passion for golf as well as a strong grasp of the challenges and opportunities facing not only the European Tour but golf as a whole.
“He knows the game, respects its history and I have no doubt he will bring an innovative approach to the development of the European Tour on a global stage.”
Pelley said: “I am very honoured to be joining The European Tour as its new CEO at an exciting stage in its development.
“The Tour already has a highly regarded reputation and I look forward to building on this using my previous experience in both media and sports to ensure it remains at forefront of the game across the globe.
“Throughout my career in North America, it has been a privilege to work with the best sports organisations, athletes, and media assets. I am excited to build on these experiences on the international stage.”
Thomas Bjrn, chairman of The European Tour’s Tournament Committee, said: “On behalf of all the players on The European Tour, I am delighted to welcome Keith Pelley as our new chief executive.
“Having spoken to him at length, I know the passion and commitment he will bring to the role as the Tour moves forward. You only need to look at what he has achieved in sports and business to date to see that his record speaks for itself.”
Outgoing CEO O’Grady will stay until Pelley takes over officially, and then take a new post within the Tour as president of international relations, said a Tour spokesman.