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People on the move: MLB, SecuTix and more

Paris-based payment service provider Tickando has appointed Farid Soltani (pictured left) as its executive chairman.

The firm provides cash facilities for cultural and sport events across Europe using the ticketing asset of its clients.

Soltani previously worked as the head of asset services practice for Lunalogic Group.

Elsewhere, Miet Cappelle has been appointed as client success manager at Selligent Marketing Cloud after leaving her role as senior professional services analyst at SecuTix.

She previously worked in customer success at Belgium-based Oxynade, which is an eTicketing SaaS company that was acquired by SecuTix in January.

Major League Baseball has promoted Noah Garden to chief revenue officer and Chris Marinak (pictured right) to chief operations and strategy officer.

The promotions come after Tony Petitti, MLB’s former deputy commissioner of business and media and chief operating officer, left the league to become president of sports and entertainment at US esports company Activision Blizzard.

Garden and Marinak will have oversight of additional departments that previously reported to Petitti. Both Garden and Marinak will continue to report directly to MLB commissioner Robert Manfred.

Garden previously served as executive vice-president of business and sales and will oversee all of the league’s revenue-generating departments in his new role. As well as ticketing, sponsorship, corporate sales and sports betting, Garden will now oversee consumer products, video games, national media, broadcasting, MLB Network and International.

Marinak previously worked as executive vice-president of strategy, technology and innovation and oversaw technology, product, scheduling and game operations. His new role will see him take on lead departments focused on digital content and fan engagement, including marketing and social media, web content, special events and design services. He will also supervise a new strategy and analytics group.

Neil Hudgell is stepping down as chairman and owner of Super League’s Hull Kingston Rovers after 16 years with the rugby league club.

Hudgell said in a statement that he would be relinquishing his position as chairman with effect from December 1.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Rovers chief executive Mike Smith had been due to step down from his role in May but he will now remain in place until a new owner or consortium is found.

Hudgell said: “Any incumbent would be taking over a club with a significant level of liquidity, as well as Super League status preserved. I am looking to hand over the club in a better place than where I found it. The opportunity to buy Hull College Craven Park and the surrounding land also remain as explorable options.

“It has been an honour to lead Hull Kingston Rovers for such a long time and I have so many people to thank and praise for their help and support throughout the journey. But it’s time for me to sit it out for a while and more importantly, time for someone else to come in and elevate our great club to where I have not quite managed to take it.”