“Wealth Of Management Experience’: NBA Veteran Exec Named New WTA CEO
Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 07:47PM By Barry Janoff
June 5, 2024: Calling it a decision that “further strengthens its leadership team,” the Hologic WTA Tour has named Portia Archer as its new CEO.
She joins the WTA from the NBA, where she was COO for the NBA G League.
She also has held senior positions at NBC Sports Group, HBO and the BBC.
Archer begins the position July 29.
The appointment now allows Steve Simon, currently WTA chairman and CEO, to assume the role of chairman, “focusing on governance and strategic development.”
“I am delighted to welcome Portia to the WTA,” Simon said via the WTA.
“She will be a fantastic addition to our leadership team, bringing a wealth of management experience and helping to drive operational excellence across the organization as we work together to further elevate women’s tennis for the benefit of players, fans, partners and tournaments.”
The appointment of Archer comes as the WTA is building its worldwide presence.
Last month, the Hologic WTA Tour unveiled a multi-year, multi-level partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund intended to “support their shared ambition to grow women’s professional tennis and inspire more women and girls around the world to take up the game.”
As a global partner of the WTA, PIF becomes the first naming partner for the WTA Rankings, the highest official rankings for women’s professional tennis players.
In April, WTA signed a deal moving the season-ending WTA Finals to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, for the next three years, starting in 2024, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the Race to the WTA Finals.
The agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation will offer record prize money of $15.25 million at the WTA Finals in 2024 “with further increases in 2025 and 2026.”
As CEO, Archer will lead the day-to-day strategy and operations of the Hologic WTA Tour and the WTA’s relationship with its player and tournament members.
She will work together with Simon and Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, the commercial arm of the WTA, which was established in 2023 in partnership with CVC Capital Partners, “to drive the future success of the sport.”
In her most recent role as NBA G League COO, she was responsible for overseeing all business and commercial operations for the NBA’s development league, driving expansion as well as significant increases in fan engagement and commercial performance.
As vp-global distribution and digital at HBO, she helped expand reach and launch digital channels in more than 15 international territories.
“The WTA is an organization I have long admired,” said Archer via WTA.
“It has pioneered the growth and development of women’s professional sport around the world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to join the team as we deliver our ambitions for the Tour and write the next chapter of the WTA story.”
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