DALLAS & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Arctos Sports Partners, a private investment platform dedicated to providing growth capital and liquidity solutions to industry-leading professional sports franchise owners in major North American leagues and premier global sports organizations, today announced that Shane Battier, Jessica Gelman, Chris Grove and Normand Legault are joining the firm as operating advisors.
Arctos’ group of operating advisers brings deep operational experience and perspective to the firm and is a valuable resource for Arctos’ portfolio franchises and investment team. The firm’s operating advisors play a broad role in the firm’s operations, including identifying and completing due diligence on potential investments, providing insights into industry trends and deepening relationships with key stakeholders across the industry.
“As we’ve built Arctos, we’ve focused on surrounding ourselves with who we believe are the best minds and operators in the sports ecosystem. Our operating advisers provide additional expertise to the Arctos team so that we are positioned to identify and execute on investment opportunities and support the growth and innovation of our portfolio franchises,” said Doc O’Connor, Managing Partner at Arctos Sports Partners. “We are proud to welcome Shane, Jessica, Chris and Normand to our already outstanding group of operating advisers, and we look forward to their contributions in growing our firm and providing value to the world-class ownership groups and leagues with whom we partner.”
Newly Announced Arctos Operating Advisers
Shane Battier has won championships at the college and professional levels. After retiring from the NBA in 2014, Shane has led a successful business and philanthropic career, serving as Vice President of Basketball Development and Analytics for the Miami Heat; becoming a sought-after speaker; founding the Battier Take Charge Foundation, dedicated to elevating underserved young scholars; and serving as a board member and investor in early stage technology companies.
Jessica Gelman, CEO of KAGR (Kraft Analytics Group), has spent more than twenty years at the intersection of the business of sports and analytics. Her work has influenced how sports franchises use data and analytics at all levels of their organization to increase value, improve the fan experience and gain a competitive edge. Jessica is also the Co-Founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, a large and influential conference focused on analytics and sports.
Chris Grove is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Acies Investments, a venture capital fund focused on companies in the global sports betting, iGaming, esports and sports technology industries. Chris also founded the sports betting practice at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he continues to serve as Partner Emeritus, a partner-level advisory role supporting the firm’s online gambling research and consulting work.
Normand Legault is the President of GPF1 Inc., an advisory and mergers & acquisition firm, dealing in professional sports, live entertainment and communications. He has served as an executive in the motor sports industry, including as general manager of the Canadian Grand Prix. Normand also serves as a Director with Dorna Sports and Cogeco Inc. and previously served as a senior private equity advisor to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). He is an inductee in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.
Shane, Jessica, Chris and Normand join Arctos’ existing operating advisers, who include:
- TJ Adeshola, Head of Global Content Partnerships at Twitter
- William Chambers, Former CFO & COO of Sinclair Broadcast Group and EVP of Finance at Fox Sports Media
- Neil Glat, Co-President Americas of SPORTFIVE and former President of New York Jets and SVP of Corporate Development at the NFL
- Jeff Krolik, Former President of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Fox Regional Sports Networks
- Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group
- David Levy, Chairman of Genius Sports and former President of Turner Broadcasting
- Angela Ruggiero, CEO of Sports Innovation Lab and four-time Olympian in women’s ice hockey
- Richard Scudamore, Former Executive Chairman & CEO of the English Premier League
- Nzinga Shaw, President and Global Practice Head, ESG & DEI at ZRG Partners and former Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer of Starbucks and the Atlanta Hawks
- Kenneth Shropshire, Wharton School of Business Professor Emeritus and Senior Advisor to the Dean’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity
- Sara Slane, Founder of Slane Advisory and former SVP of American Gaming Association
- Malcom Turner, Head of Corporate Development and Strategy at Draft Kings and former President of NBA G-League
About Arctos Sports Partners
Arctos Sports Partners works with innovative and visionary ownership groups and leagues across North American professional sports and European soccer. Arctos has a team of more than 30 investment and operational professionals with offices in Dallas and New York. In addition to liquidity solutions and growth capital, Arctos’ portfolio franchises are able to leverage the deep industry knowledge and operational expertise of the firm’s operating advisors to help drive additional value. Arctos is the first firm to be approved by and execute deals across NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS, and to date, has invested in more than 20 sports franchises and adjacent businesses.
