Volleyball World, the commercial vehicle of the sport’s FIVB governing body, has appointed Ugo Valensi as its new chief executive.
He will take up his new role with the organization on August 4, replacing Finn Taylor, who recently stepped down.
Taylor left his position on April 25. Martyn Phillips, the vice chair of the Volleyball World board, has been serving as interim CEO in recent months.
Valensi will begin his tenure just after the men’s and women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals and shortly before the Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Thailand (August 22 – September 7) and Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines (September 12-28) – the first time both championships have been held in Asia.
He joins Volleyball World from the Grand Slam Tennis body, where, as chief executive, he managed the partnership between the titular grand slams for the past four-and-a-half years, overseeing strategic collaboration across the sport’s major tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Prior to this, Valensi spent nine years at the Sportfive sports marketing agency across multiple roles, including as chief operating officer and global CEO.
Michael Payne, who was appointed as chair of Volleyball World last month, said: “We are very lucky to have secured Ugo as our new CEO. He brings a wealth of expertise in the sports business, from both the rights holder and agency side.
“Through his time at Grand Slam Tennis and as CEO of Sportfive, he has shown his undoubted commercial acumen. Having listened to him outline his vision for Volleyball World, I look forward to working with him at this exciting time for the organization and the sport of volleyball.”
Valensi added: “I’m honoured to join Volleyball World at such an exciting moment in its journey. Since its launch in 2021, the organisation has redefined what’s possible for professional volleyball — blending sporting excellence with global entertainment appeal.
“With 800 million people engaging with volleyball worldwide, there is immense untapped potential. I look forward to working with Michael Payne, the team at Volleyball World, the FIVB, CVC Capital Partners and all our partners to expand our reach, deepen fan connections, and unlock the next wave of growth for this extraordinary sport.”
Taylor was named as Volleyball World’s chief executive when the vehicle launched in early 2021, through private equity firm CVC buying a 33% stake worth around $100 million.
