Latest news with #LewSherr
3 days ago
- Business
New York Mets hire Lew Sherr from the US Open tennis tournament as president of business operations
PARIS -- The New York Mets are hiring the person who oversees the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Lew Sherr, as their new president of business operations. Sherr has been the CEO and executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association since 2022 and has worked there since 2010, including previously as chief revenue officer. His departure was announced by the USTA on Friday; he will remain there until the end of June, then start with the Mets in July. 'For right now, my focus is the smoothest possible transition,' Sherr said in an interview with The Associated Press at the French Open. 'But I'm hugely excited about what's happening over there. (Mets owners) Steve and Alex Cohen have made a commitment to that team that is unrivaled in sports. You see it on the field, off the field. The energy around the team. The energy around what they're trying to do for the community with their foundation. The plans for the casino and the hotel and entertainment district.' Steve Cohen is among the bidders for three casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission and has been lobbying to have the state legislature reclassify the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field — also near the facility that hosts the U.S. Open — from parkland to commercial land for a gaming facility. The Mets announced Scott Havens' departure as their president of business operations on Tuesday; he was in that post since December 2023. Chief legal officer Katie Pothier, chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg, chief communications officer Nancy Elder and senior vice president of finance Peter Woll have left since November. The USTA said Brian Vahaly and Andrea Hirsch will be interim co-CEOs during a search for Sherr's replacement. Vahaly is chairman of the USTA Board; Hirsch is the USTA's chief operating officer and chief legal officer. In Sherr's time as CEO, the USTA has seen growth in tennis participation around the country, along with increases in U.S. Open attendance, sponsorships, and revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting rights. 'We've taken some big swings," Sherr said Friday, 'and thankfully, they're paying off.' Just last week, he spoke at a news conference in New York to unveil an $800 million project to update Arthur Ashe Stadium and create a player performance center on the tournament grounds. He also made significant changes to this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles event in a bid to attract top singles players, making it a two-day, 16-team competition the week before the singles brackets begin. 'It's bittersweet, in that I really have loved being part of this organization for 15 years and the opportunities I've had to do just really interesting things — and not just on the commercial side, but in terms of helping us think about growing the sport,' Sherr said. "I'm leaving sleeping well at night, knowing (the USTA) is going to be well looked-after.' ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed. ___
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Business
- NBC Sports
New York Mets hire Lew Sherr from the U.S. Open tennis tournament as president of business operations
PARIS — The New York Mets are hiring the person who oversees the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Lew Sherr, as their new president of business operations. Sherr has been the CEO and executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association since 2022 and has worked there since 2010, including previously as chief revenue officer. His departure was announced by the USTA; he will remain there until the end of June, then start with the Mets in July. 'For right now, my focus is the smoothest possible transition,' Sherr said in an interview with The Associated Press at the French Open. 'But I'm hugely excited about what's happening over there. (Mets owners) Steve and Alex Cohen have made a commitment to that team that is unrivaled in sports. You see it on the field, off the field. The energy around the team. The energy around what they're trying to do for the community with their foundation. The plans for the casino and the hotel and entertainment district.' Steve Cohen is among the bidders for three casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission and has been lobbying to have the state legislature reclassify the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field — also near the facility that hosts the U.S. Open — from parkland to commercial land for a gaming facility. The Mets announced Scott Havens' departure as their president of business operations; he was in that post since December 2023. Chief legal officer Katie Pothier, chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg, chief communications officer Nancy Elder and senior vice president of finance Peter Woll have left since November. The USTA said Brian Vahaly and Andrea Hirsch will be interim co-CEOs during a search for Sherr's replacement. Vahaly is chairman of the USTA Board; Hirsch is the USTA's chief operating officer and chief legal officer. In Sherr's time as CEO, the USTA has seen growth in tennis participation around the country, along with increases in U.S. Open attendance, sponsorships, and revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting rights. 'We've taken some big swings,' Sherr said, 'and thankfully, they're paying off.' He spoke at a news conference in New York to unveil an $800 million project to update Arthur Ashe Stadium and create a player performance center on the tournament grounds. He also made significant changes to this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles event in a bid to attract top singles players, making it a two-day, 16-team competition the week before the singles brackets begin. 'It's bittersweet, in that I really have loved being part of this organization for 15 years and the opportunities I've had to do just really interesting things — and not just on the commercial side, but in terms of helping us think about growing the sport,' Sherr said. 'I'm leaving sleeping well at night, knowing (the USTA) is going to be well looked-after.'
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
New York Mets hire Lew Sherr from the US Open tennis tournament as president of business operations
PARIS (AP) — The New York Mets are hiring the person who oversees the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Lew Sherr, as their new president of business operations. Sherr has been the CEO and executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association since 2022 and has worked there since 2010, including previously as chief revenue officer. His departure was announced by the USTA on Friday; he will remain there until the end of June, then start with the Mets in July. 'For right now, my focus is the smoothest possible transition,' Sherr said in an interview with The Associated Press at the French Open . 'But I'm hugely excited about what's happening over there. (Mets owners) Steve and Alex Cohen have made a commitment to that team that is unrivaled in sports. You see it on the field, off the field. The energy around the team. The energy around what they're trying to do for the community with their foundation. The plans for the casino and the hotel and entertainment district.' Steve Cohen is among the bidders for three casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission and has been lobbying to have the state legislature reclassify the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field — also near the facility that hosts the U.S. Open — from parkland to commercial land for a gaming facility. The Mets announced Scott Havens' departure as their president of business operations on Tuesday; he was in that post since December 2023. Chief legal officer Katie Pothier, chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg, chief communications officer Nancy Elder and senior vice president of finance Peter Woll have left since November. The USTA said Brian Vahaly and Andrea Hirsch will be interim co-CEOs during a search for Sherr's replacement. Vahaly is chairman of the USTA Board; Hirsch is the USTA's chief operating officer and chief legal officer. In Sherr's time as CEO, the USTA has seen growth in tennis participation around the country, along with increases in U.S. Open attendance, sponsorships, and revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting rights. 'We've taken some big swings,' Sherr said Friday, 'and thankfully, they're paying off.' Just last week, he spoke at a news conference in New York to unveil an $800 million project to update Arthur Ashe Stadium and create a player performance center on the tournament grounds. He also made significant changes to this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles event in a bid to attract top singles players, making it a two-day, 16-team competition the week before the singles brackets begin. 'It's bittersweet, in that I really have loved being part of this organization for 15 years and the opportunities I've had to do just really interesting things — and not just on the commercial side, but in terms of helping us think about growing the sport,' Sherr said. 'I'm leaving sleeping well at night, knowing (the USTA) is going to be well looked-after.' ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed. ___ Howard Fendrich is an AP national writer. Find his stories here: . AP MLB: Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
New York Mets hire Lew Sherr from the US Open tennis tournament as president of business operations
PARIS (AP) — The New York Mets are hiring the person who oversees the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Lew Sherr, as their new president of business operations. Sherr has been the CEO and executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association since 2022 and has worked there since 2010, including previously as chief revenue officer. His departure was announced by the USTA on Friday; he will remain there until the end of June, then start with the Mets in July. 'For right now, my focus is the smoothest possible transition,' Sherr said in an interview with The Associated Press at the French Open. 'But I'm hugely excited about what's happening over there. (Mets owners) Steve and Alex Cohen have made a commitment to that team that is unrivaled in sports. You see it on the field, off the field. The energy around the team. The energy around what they're trying to do for the community with their foundation. The plans for the casino and the hotel and entertainment district.' Steve Cohen is among the bidders for three casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission and has been lobbying to have the state legislature reclassify the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field — also near the facility that hosts the U.S. Open — from parkland to commercial land for a gaming facility. The Mets announced Scott Havens' departure as their president of business operations on Tuesday; he was in that post since December 2023. Chief legal officer Katie Pothier, chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg, chief communications officer Nancy Elder and senior vice president of finance Peter Woll have left since November. The USTA said Brian Vahaly and Andrea Hirsch will be interim co-CEOs during a search for Sherr's replacement. Vahaly is chairman of the USTA Board; Hirsch is the USTA's chief operating officer and chief legal officer. In Sherr's time as CEO, the USTA has seen growth in tennis participation around the country, along with increases in U.S. Open attendance, sponsorships, and revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting rights. 'We've taken some big swings," Sherr said Friday, 'and thankfully, they're paying off.' Just last week, he spoke at a news conference in New York to unveil an $800 million project to update Arthur Ashe Stadium and create a player performance center on the tournament grounds. He also made significant changes to this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles event in a bid to attract top singles players, making it a two-day, 16-team competition the week before the singles brackets begin. 'It's bittersweet, in that I really have loved being part of this organization for 15 years and the opportunities I've had to do just really interesting things — and not just on the commercial side, but in terms of helping us think about growing the sport,' Sherr said. "I'm leaving sleeping well at night, knowing (the USTA) is going to be well looked-after.' ___
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
U.S. tennis president Lew Sherr to leave USTA for New York Mets
Lew Sherr, the chief executive of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) is stepping down at the end of June to join the New York Mets as president of business operations. Sherr, a veteran of sports business in New York who previously held senior positions at Madison Square Garden, recently unveiled an $800 million redesign of Arthur Ashe Stadium and other parts of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, the home of the U.S. Open. The plans include additional hospitality space and a new player performance center. Advertisement He has also spearheaded an effort to revamp the elite player development program for U.S. players, after former leading figures in that program criticized cutbacks by the USTA following the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent interview, Sherr said the goal was to centralize the program, including the people who organize tournaments and the those who are in charge of running national and regional camps for children as young as 12 years old. During past last two years, Sherr has also been part of efforts by the four biggest tournaments in tennis, the Grand Slams, to restructure the sport. That plan was dubbed the premium tour and would slim the tennis calendar to a schedule based around the majors and the next tier of events, the ATP and WTA 1,000s (so named for the ranking points their winners get). Those efforts have put him at odds with the leaders of the men's and women's tennis tours, the ATP and the WTA. The majors gained momentum early last year, but have since been stymied by the same inertia that has stalled previous efforts to streamline the sport. Sherr took over the USTA in August of 2022 and had to carry out significant cuts after the organization went through the effects of having to stage the 2020 U.S. Open without spectators. The USTA has since recovered as attendance at the U.S. Open surpassed more than 1 million fans last year for the first time. Revenues from the tournament surpassed $500 million — revenues which the top players want to be shared more generously with them than they are currently. 'This is truly a bittersweet moment. Over the past 15 years, the USTA has been so much more than just a workplace — it has been a community, a purpose, and a passion,' Sherr said in a statement. 'While I will no longer be leading from within, I will always be cheering on the USTA and the work ahead. I'm immensely proud of what we've accomplished together, and even more excited to see where our talented team takes it next.' Advertisement After Sherr departs, USTA board chairman Brian Vahaly and chief operating officer Andrea Hirsch will serve as co-chief executives while the organization conducts a search for its next leader. Sherr replaces Scott Havens, who had been president of business operations at the Mets since 2023, and joins the team as they occupy second place in the National League East. Since purchasing the team in 2020, hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen has become one of the highest-spending owners in baseball. In December, the Mets signed outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in professional sports history.
