Lew Sherr, the chief executive of the US Tennis Association governing body, is leaving his position to join the New York Mets MLB baseball franchise as president of business operations.
Sherr has served as chief executive and executive director of the USTA since 2022, having joined the governing body in 2010. During that time, he also worked as chief revenue officer.
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He will remain at the USTA until the end of June and start with the Mets in July, replacing Scott Havens at the Mets, who stepped down last week after two years in the role.
Speaking with news outlet the Associated Press, Sherr said: “For right now, my focus is the smoothest possible transition.
“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 the entertainment district.”
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By GlobalDataSteve Cohen has bid for three casino licenses to be awarded by the New York State Gaming Commission and has been lobbying to have the parking lots adjacent to the Mets’ Citi Field reclassified from parkland to commercial land to build a gaming facility.
The USTA, meanwhile, said board chairman Brian Vahaly and Andrea Hirsch, the chief operations officer and chief legal officer, will act as interim co-chief executives during its search for Sherr’s replacement.
During Sherr’s time leading the USTA has seen participation in tennis grow around the country, as well as increases in attendance, sponsorship deals, and revenue, for the US Open on the back of commercial deals.
Most recently, Sherr led the unveiling of an $800 million project to modernize the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open in New York.
Addressing his commercial success at USTA, he said: “We've taken some big swings and thankfully, they're paying off.
“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.”
“I'm leaving sleeping well at night, knowing (the USTA) is going to be well looked after.”
Elsewhere, Aston Villa, of English soccer’s top-tier EPL, have announced the appointment of Francesco Calvo as the club’s new president of business operations.
Calvo joins in July from Italian side Juventus, where he worked as managing director of revenue and institutional relationships, where he had responsibility for all revenue streams and relationships with stakeholders, including governing bodies FIFA, UEFA, ECA, and Serie A.
He replaces Chris Heck, who stepped down from the role at the end of the 2024-25 season, most likely to join LIV Golf.
Nassef Sawiris, executive chairman of Aston Villa, has said: “We are pleased to welcome Francesco Calvo to Aston Villa. He has an outstanding track record at some of Europe’s biggest clubs and brings a huge amount of experience.
“Our ambition is for Aston Villa to be competing at the very top level in everything we do, both on and off the pitch. Francesco’s skills, relationships, and experience will prove invaluable in making that ambition a reality.”
Meanwhile, Juventus have appointed seasoned sports director Damien Comolli as general manager to oversee major soccer and commercial operations.
Comolli, known for his roles at EPL clubs Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham, joins following a stint as the president of French side Toulouse FC, and will be responsible for the men’s soccer division, as well as the marketing and commercial departments of the club.
He will start in the role on June 4 and will work together with club legend Giorgio Chiellini, who will play a key role as the club’s director of football strategy.
He said: “I am thrilled and privileged to join a club distinguished by its history, identity, and ambitious vision.
“From the very first day, I will dedicate my experience to Juventus with the ultimate goal of achieving victory, just as Juventus is meant to, and as our fans rightfully expect.”
Additionally, the Jockey Club, the prominent UK horse racing organization, has confirmed Charlie Boss as its new chief executive.
Boss has served as the Jockey Club’s interim chief executive since December, when he took over from Nevin Truesdale, who left the role after 11 years at the organization.
He was announced after former Ladbrokes Coral boss Jim Mullen started as the organization’s permanent group chief executive this month, with Boss transferring into his new position in September.
He will report directly to Mullen as he oversees 15 racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, and Newmarket.
Boss returned to the Jockey Club at the end of last year, having previously served as the chief commercial officer for the organization between 2021 and 2023. He then had a stint as the commercial officer of the then-Premier League outfit Southampton FC.
Boss said: “It has been the privilege of my career to lead The Jockey Club over the last six months, and I’m absolutely delighted to be given this fantastic opportunity to remain with the organization and to work with Jim [Mullen].
“As an industry which contributes more than £4 billion [$5.4 billion] to the UK economy and is the country’s second most attended sport, horseracing still has an important place in society and I am certainly proud to be able to continue to play a part in the positive impact that it has, both domestically and globally.”
