Competitor Group Inc (CGI), the leading active lifestyle sports media and event entertainment company, has named David Abeles as Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Additionally, Barrett Garrison has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer and Keith Kendrick has been permanently appointed Chief Marketing Officer.
The latest appointments at CGI follow a restructuring of key senior appointments in January 2014, which saw the company confirm that it would cease production of Inside Triathlon and turn its full attention to Triathlete magazine. This in turn followed a management shake-up at the company in December 2013.
At the end of last year, Paul Walsh was named as interim CEO, and George Gresham as interim CFO, while CGI conducted a worldwide search to find a permanent replacement for Scott Dickey and Steve Gintowt, both of whom transitioned out of the company.
“David, Barrett and Keith have a passion for building and leading teams, are brand savvy and have proven track records operating complex businesses,” said Paul Walsh, Chairman of CGI, who was serving as interim CEO and led the global search.
“I couldn’t be more delighted that these talented executives are joining Competitor Group and will devote their talents to growing the finest media and event company in the world.”
David Abeles brings a 20-year career of executive experience in the sports industry to CGI. He was most recently the Executive Vice President and General Manager at TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company, where over the past six years he led the commercial operations of a US$1.8 billion global equipment and apparel division.
Prior to TaylorMade, Abeles served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Cobra Golf. There, he was responsible for the brand strategy, marketing platform and corporate positioning that drove revenue growth five-fold during his six-year tenure.
“This is a very exciting time for the endurance sports industry and it’s a great privilege to lead the talented team at CGI,” said Abeles, who is originally from New York and lives in Del Mar, California, with his wife and three sons.
“As participation and interest in running and triathlon events continue to grow around the world, I’m incredibly energized by the opportunity to help contribute to the next phase of our growth and innovation, setting the standard for operating world-class events and delivering the most authentic content to the active lifestyle community.”
Barrett Garrison comes to CGI as Chief Financial Officer with a leadership background in operational finance across a multitude of consumer facing companies. Most recently he spent the past six years as the Vice President and then CFO of NetSpend Corporation, a leading provider of reloadable prepaid debit cards, which was recently acquired by TSYS for US$1.4 billion. Prior to NetSpend, Garrison held senior finance positions with Dell and Seiko Instruments.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity,” said Garrison, an avid mountain biker who played football at the University of New Mexico. “There is an incredible amount of passion about the business and the customer we serve. I’m honoured to be a part of this community and join the great team here at CGI.”
Keith Kendrick joined CGI as a consultant and was appointed interim Chief Marketing Officer in October 2013. He has been driving a number of marketing initiatives including brand standardization, grassroots and multiple channel direct marketing.
In large part due to Kendrick’s efforts, CGI’s flagship event brand, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has seen a 5% increase in registration in the year to date.
“In David and Barrett we have two superb leaders joining CGI, and I am looking forward to working with them to build the premier company from our already world-leading position in the endurance sports industry,” said Kendrick.
“I am very proud of what we have accomplished during my short time as interim CMO and look forward to being part of the company’s continued success by improving the participant experience at our events and growing the value of our media brands.”
