O’Brien appointed President and Group CEO of MP & Silva
October 20, 2017
MP & Silva, an international media company that provides media rights distribution, digital and technology services, and sponsorship consultancy, has announced that the Board has appointed Seamus O’Brien as President and Group Chief Executive Officer of MP & Silva, effective January 1st 2018.
O’Brien has over 30 years’ experience in leading executive positions in the international sports industry across the world. He began his career at CSI (which later became part of Octagon) before establishing World Sport Group, a company renowned for many landmark deals in the sports media industry. In 2008, Seamus sold his majority stake in World Sport Group to Lagardère Group, the French media conglomerate, having built the company into Asia’s largest sports marketing, media and event management company. He continued to lead World Sport Group as Executive Chairman until 2015. He was also appointed in 2014 as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of Lagardère’s Sports and Entertainment division.
Former CEO Jochen Lösch becomes a Senior Consultant to MP & Silva. Discussing his new position, Jochen said: “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%. 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.”
Discussing the changes, Larry Feng, Chairman of MP & Silva said: “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 said:“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 utilising the extensive global network at our disposal, I am very confident that exciting times are ahead for MP & Silva.”