Sportfive France, an arm of the global sports marketing agency, has unveiled a significant change in its future leadership structure, with managing director (MD) Laurent Moretti set to stand down at the end of February.
Xavier Oddone will replace Moretti as MD of the French division, while Maxime Lebessou will come on board as deputy managing director.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Sportfive has said Moretti, who will formally stand down on February 29, “made substantial contributions to the growth and strengthening of Sportfive’s presence in France as well as globally.”
Moretti was elevated to the France MD role at Sportfive in March 2014, replacing Vincent Tong Cuong.
Benjamin Deblicker, meanwhile, will take over the French commercial department.
Oddone is currently the senior vice president of marketing and sales at Sportfive France, having held that position since 2014. Lebessou, meanwhile, has been at Sportfive since January 11 and is currently the executive vice president of digital, global, and business development there.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataPhilipp Hasenbein, chief operating officer at Sportfive, said: “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Laurent for his dedicated service and valuable contributions to Sportfive. His role as a key figure in our positive turnaround in France will be remembered as part of his lasting legacy.”
He also said that the agency would be “actively enhancing our efforts in France’s growth areas.”
Moretti added: “It is with great emotion that I am preparing to step down from my position as managing director, which I have held for over 10 years at Sportfive in France. In a few days, I'll be handing over the reins to Xavier, who together with Maxime, I'm convinced, will continue to write the Sportfive story and contribute to the agency's success on the French market.”
Oddone also commented, saying: “We'd like to thank Laurent in particular for the years we've spent together, and for the trust and passion he's been able to pass on to us. We will continue to carry out all the actions he has initiated with the aim of contributing to the agency's development in the French market."
Earlier this month, Sportfive unveiled Chris Russell as the agency’s director of global basketball sales.
Russell joins the company from Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona, where he served as head of business development since November 2021.
