The Ironman Group, a Wanda Sports Group company, announced the addition of Matt Wikstrom and Chris Marciani to its Global Partnership leadership team.
Wikstrom has been named vice president of Global Partnerships, Global Business Development, where he will focus on global partnerships with companies that work outside of the endurance landscape. Marciani has been named vice president of Global Partnerships, North America, where he will lead the North America sales team and efforts.
“We are pleased to welcome both Matt and Chris to The Ironman Group. They each bring a depth of knowledge, network, creativity and leadership that will be critical as we continue to develop our events portfolio and build our digital platforms,” said Matthieu Van Veen, chief revenue officer for The Ironman Group. “As the largest mass participation event producer in the world with more than one million registered race participants each year, we provide a significant opportunity for enterprises looking to reach desirable demographics, communities of athletes and to associate with health and fitness values. Matt and Chris will complement each other well while bringing great experience to the Global Partnership team.”
Matt Wikstrom – Vice President of Global Partnerships, Global Business Development
Wikstrom was most recently with the Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment’s Team Advisory division as senior vice president, specializing in maximizing opportunities for VWSE’s team, property, and brand clients in naming rights, stadium development, sponsorship, premium ticketing, and analytics.
Prior to joining VWSE, Wikstrom spent 16 years at Wasserman, working in a variety of business development capacities, including selling the naming rights and cornerstone sponsors of MetLife Stadium, presenting sponsorship of Wembley Stadium, title sponsors for the UCI World Tour Team, RadioShack Nissan Trek, among other major sponsorships. Wikstrom also led the creation of an Endurance Division at Wasserman, which represented brands, properties and athletes along with owning and operating events within the endurance space.
Wikstrom is married with three children and is also a competitive cyclist.
Chris Marciani – Vice President of Global Partnerships, North America
Marciani most recently worked for the Miami Heat of the NBA where he was in charge of managing the corporate partnership group. Prior to his time with the Heat, he spent four years with the PGA as vice president, Tournament Revenue, where he oversaw a national sales team with many similarities to the one he will be leading at The Ironman Group.
With more than 20 years of corporate partnership sales experience, Marciani has generated significant revenue as a senior sales executive at Major League Baseball Properties, NASCAR, and Charlotte Hornets.
Marciani is married with two children and recently completed his 10th marathon.
For more information on The Ironman Group and global event series, visit www.Ironman.com. Media related inquiries may be directed to press@Ironman.com.
Those seeking career opportunities at The Ironman Group can visit here.
