LIV Golf’s C-suite has a new face.
Sports industry veteran Chris Heck is joining the league in the newly created role of president of business operations, LIV announced Thursday. Heck, most recently, was the president of the English Premier League’s Aston Villa FC; before that he held leadership roles with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.
Heck has been credited with delivering rapid growth, increasing property valuations, driving brand awareness and developing fan and partnership endeavors during his tenure at each of his former professional sports’ posts.
While at at Aston Villa, the LIV statement said, Heck more than doubled commercial revenue, increasing the club’s valuation by nearly 20 percent in two years. During his decade-long stint with the 76ers, Heck’s highlights included the franchise value increasing by more than $2.5 billion, and a home-game sellout streak that lasted for more than 200 games.
“Chris Heck brings a commercial mindset, the proven ability to attract, retain and develop talented executives, and a consistent and proven track record of driving exponential growth to the businesses he leads,” said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil in the release. “Chris’ passion to elevate brands, engage corporate partners, deliver authentic fan and brand engagement with global impact, and a drive towards innovation will ensure we continue on a strong growth trajectory for our league and teams.”
Over the last several months, LIV Golf has added new broadcast partnerships with FOX, ITV, DAZN, and KC Global Media, and numerous league, team and event partners, including Porsche, TikTok, Reebok, Callaway and Ping.
Heck will be responsible for LIV Golf’s business operations execution on a global scale.
