We round up the latest movements from the ticketing sector and associated industries…
Vivid Seats has named Stefano Langenbacher as chief technology officer following Jon Wagner’s retirement this month.
The company said Wagner will continue to serve in a technical advisor role to ensure a smooth transition.
Langenbacher previously held the CTO role at Suitsupply as well as German companies Home24 and Zalando Lounge.
Vivid Seats said: “Langenbacher is a seasoned technology executive, and Vivid Seats will benefit from his extensive expertise leading the technology teams for high-performing, consumer facing e-commerce brands, most recently serving as chief technology officer at Suitsupply. His deep experience optimising global platforms and international tech stacks while fostering innovation will be invaluable as we capture the international opportunity ahead of us in our journey as a global business.”
Ticketmaster has appointed Danny Hannaford (pictured left) as the senior director of client product solutions for its UK operations.
Hannaford previously served as the UK general manager at Ticketek, where he played a role in overseeing operations. Prior to that, he oversaw the ticketing strategy and digital delivery for The O2 in London.
Hannaford said: “Joining Ticketmaster represents an incredible opportunity to contribute to the forefront of live entertainment and ticketing innovation. I look forward to the journey ahead and am excited to be a part of this dynamic team.”
Griffiths takes Intix UK role
Intix has appointed Damien Griffiths as general manager (UK) after opening its new London office.
The Australian company said Griffiths will be responsible for leading its UK operations and driving its growth strategy in the key market. Griffiths was previously chief digital officer at Kent College Dubai.
Intix said in a statement: “Damien brings a wealth of experience in the technology industry, with a proven track record of success. He is passionate about creating innovative solutions that streamline ticketing processes, create fan engagement opportunities and commercialise an organisations ticketing data.”
Eventbrite has hired Himanshu Verma (pictured centre) as VP engineering and country lead for its development hub in India.
Verma will oversee Eventbrite’s development team in India, which builds the company’s cloud, mobile and marketplace technology.
Verma’s career spans more than two decades of engineering and product development leadership at groups such as Amazon and Yahoo.
Verma will report directly to Eventbrite CTO Vivek Sagi, who said: “Himanshu is an exceptional engineering leader with proven expertise in growing and scaling talent, systems and products. He joins Eventbrite at an exciting moment in our company’s history as we continue to grow our footprint in India.”
Steve Heap is to retire from his role as general secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) in April.
Heap will hand over the reins to John Rostron and the team at the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).
Heap has acted as AFO’s general secretary since it was founded in 1987, growing the organisation from a handful of founding members to representing over 100 festivals.
Rostron said: “Steve is a legend in the festival world and he’ll be greatly missed as he begins his retirement from AFO. I’m enormously pleased that his departing gesture is to entrust AFO to myself and the team at AIF.” Read the full story here.
Thelan appointed at Vivenu
Vivenu has appointed Jan B. Thelen (pictured right) to the newly created role of vice president sports EMEA.
The former Nielsen Sports and Werder Bremen executive will commence his role at the Düsseldorf-based technology company no later than May 1, 2024. His responsibilities include focusing on expanding and advancing the Sports Vertical’s business.
Simon Hennes, CEO at Vivenu, said: ” Sports is a core area in our future growth strategy, and with Jan, we have found an experienced leader to manage our teams in this business field. His many years of experience at the world’s largest data provider as well as on the club and marketing side is the ideal condition for future collaboration with our existing and new customers.”
Do you have news of an appointment that we should know about? Get in touch by emailing news.editor@theticketingbusiness.com and we’ll include it in our next round-up.
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