Elevate Sports Ventures, the sports and entertainment agency, has launched a new executive search and global talent advisory firm after acquiring executive search company SRI.
The new company, Elevate Talent, will support companies seeking to optimize organizational performance and access leaders from across sports, entertainment, media, lifestyle, technology, and gaming.
The new company will be led by former SRI chief executive Jim Chaplin, while Elevate executive Liz Moulton will serve as chairman.
Elevate, meanwhile, is led by Al Guido, president of American football’s San Francisco 49ers, who will play defending champions Kansas City Chief at this year’s Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas on Sunday (February 11).
The acquisition of SRI, which was launched in London in 2001 and now operates in 13 cities across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, will provide Elevate with expanded capabilities and expertise in the industry with service clients including every team in English soccer’s top-tier Premier League, media giant Disney, Formula 1 team Ferrari, and the WTA women’s tennis tour.
It also adds to the agency’s work across brand consulting, strategy, creative, premium hospitality, audience measurement, marketing and revenue analytics, and data-driven insights.
Guido said: “Elite businesses today – be they in sports, media, consumer goods, or technology – need innovative leaders who will help them cut through the noise and resonate with customers in a crowded business landscape.
“That competition is fierce, and we have launched Elevate Talent to meet that challenge. We are thrilled to welcome the SRI team on board, and we are eager to begin collaborating with them as we supercharge our ability to serve clients around the world.”
Chaplin added: “For the team at SRI, becoming part of Elevate feels like a perfect match. We share a foundation in the world of sports and have used that particular vantage point to deliver for clients across a wide range of consumer-facing sectors.
“Our common experience, aligned to a rigorous, data-driven approach, gives us the tools to set organizations up for success.”
Elevate Sports Ventures which is based in Santa Clara, California, launched in 2018 as a joint venture of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (which owns teams and venues including the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils), Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and Oak View Group.
The company works with teams and leagues in areas including ticket sales, hospitality, marketing, event management, venue naming rights, kit supply, and shirt sponsorship deals.
It boasts clients across the top North American leagues of the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and US college sports and has interests in international soccer, tennis, motorsport, and horse racing.
In May 2022, it received strategic investment from US private equity firm Arctos Sports Partners. Later that year, English soccer club Everton appointed Elevate to secure a naming rights sponsor for their new £500 million ($566 million) Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.
