SailGP appoints Head of Ticketing to protect revenue and strengthen global event strategy.

Overview

SailGP is one of the fastest-growing sports and entertainment properties in the world, combining elite sailing, high-speed racing and stadium-style fan experiences across an international event calendar.

The organisation required a Head of Ticketing to lead strategy, pricing, product development, platform recommendations and operational delivery across multiple global events. The role was central to commercial performance, customer experience and the continued growth of SailGP’s live event proposition.

Challenges

The Head of Ticketing role had been unfilled for some time, creating immediate commercial pressure and a longer-term risk around ticketing strategy, event revenue and fan experience.

SailGP needed a senior ticketing leader who could combine commercial judgement, operational detail and international event experience. The successful person had to understand ticketing products, pricing, platforms, customer journeys, conversion funnels, reporting and onsite delivery, while working closely with marketing, communications, events, partnerships and strategy teams.

The challenge was not simply finding a technical ticketing specialist. It also required identifying someone who could quickly build credibility with internal stakeholders and influence decision-making across multiple functions. It was finding someone with the right blend of commercial thinking, operational leadership and appetite for the travel and intensity of a global events business.

Solutions

When SailGP reached out to EISG’s Tom Beswick to lead the executive search, Tom was delighted to help, having worked with them on previous assignments.

With a deep knowledge of SailGP, Tom had a clear understanding of the organisation’s pace, collaborative working style, and the high-performance expectations placed on its teams. This familiarity meant he could quickly align the search strategy with SailGP’s values and priorities.

EISG delivered a targeted headhunting and advertising campaign, focused on identifying senior ticketing and event professionals with the right mix of strategic, operational and commercial experience.

The search considered talent from relevant event-based ticketing environments, while also assessing whether individuals had the mindset and approach to thrive within SailGP’s culture. This included energy, adaptability, pace, stakeholder management and comfort working in an environment that required agility rather than rigid structure.

As the market was explored, EISG worked closely with SailGP to test the balance of the brief. The search considered whether the role should lean more operational or more commercial, helping to refine the profile and keep the process focused on the blend most likely to deliver long-term success.

The assessment looked beyond technical experience. EISG considered how each person would operate with multiple internal stakeholders, how they would lead a small team, how they would approach fan experience and how they would support revenue growth across repeat and new venues.

“Finding the blend was the key challenge. The role needed someone commercially sharp, operationally strong and comfortable with the pace and travel demands of a global sports property.” – Tom Beswick , Executives in Sport Group.

Result

EISG approached 45 likely candidates, conducted in-depth screening with 15, shortlisted 7 and supported SailGP through a final interview process with three outstanding candidates.

The successful candidate was appointed within 7 weeks.

The selected individual did not come directly from SailGP’s key target markets and had a background with a service provider, but demonstrated the mindset, attitude and capability needed for the role. Their experience brought a valuable external perspective, while their approach aligned with the pace and demands of SailGP’s environment.

The appointment gave SailGP a dedicated senior ticketing leader at a critical point in its growth. With the role filled, the organisation was able to strengthen its approach to ticketing strategy, revenue delivery, platform decisions, customer journey and event operations across its international calendar.

Are you looking for a Head of Ticketing in your sports organisation?

To hear more about executive search and talent solutions in ticketing, contact Tom Beswick, who has delivered senior leaders in this space for over a decade and brings an extensive network of industry contacts alongside a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances of the role.