MUMBAI: Sports, entertainment and media company IMG Worldwide has appointed George Pyne as the president of its sports and entertainment business.
He will also join the company's board of directors. Pyne has been widely credited with transforming Nascar into a globally recognised brand and one of the most popular sports in America today. He brings vast experience in rights negotiations, licensing, brand expansion, successful development and management of marketing partnerships and sports-related businesses.
IMG chairman and CEO Ted Forstmann says, "We are very pleased to have George join our executive team. He has been at the forefront of building one of the most successful sports franchises of all time and his achievements at  and his industry leadership are great attributes which will help us execute upon IMG's growth strategy .
"Over the past year that Forstmann Little has owned IMG, we have realigned the organisation and cost structure and today, IMG is extremely sound financially. We see tremendous growth potential for this company through expansion of our current businesses, enter into related businesses and potential acquisitions."
Pyne says, "I am very enthusiastic about the opportunity to join the IMG team. The IMG brand contains a wealth of world-class assets and global capabilities and the company is full of passionate people with a breadth of experience and knowledge that is unmatched anywhere else. Ted's record of building great companies is unparalleled and I am extremely pleased to become part of his team."