BROOKLYN – John Abbamondi, CEO of BSE Global, which owns the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center and supports management of the New York Liberty, has announced the hiring of five senior executives to help lead the company’s business and venue operations.
BSE Global named Emerson Moore as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer; Peter Stern as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer; and Jackie Wilson, II as Executive Director of Diversity & Inclusion. In a pair of joint announcements with partners ASM Global and Levy, Adina Erwin was named as General Manager, Barclays Center, and Chris Giacalone as Vice President of Hospitality.
“We are thrilled to welcome five top executives into our business operations,” said Abbamondi. “The executives are accomplished leaders in their respective fields, and their incredibly deep expertise will be instrumental as we prepare for an NBA season like no other. I am extremely excited and look forward to working with them to take our fan experience to the next level.”
As EVP and Chief People Officer, Moore will lead Human Resources for BSE Global. He joins the organization after spending 13 years at TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications, a global leader in talent acquisition technologies, where he most recently held the positions of EVP, General Counsel, Head of Human Resources & Secretary. While overseeing the full scope of global HR functions across 27 offices, Moore provided strategic leadership and a forward-thinking approach to staffing, recruitment, employee relations, payroll, compensation and benefits. Prior to TMP, Moore was an associate in the corporate department at Proskauer, an international law firm.
As EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Stern will oversee the finance department for BSE Global. In his prior role, Stern was Head of U.S. Investments at Alibaba Group. Earlier in his career, he held various banking and investing positions in New York, Beijing, Hong Kong and Sydney. Stern is known for his criminal justice reform work at San Quentin prison and as Senior Advisor at The Last Mile, which prepares incarcerated individuals for successful re-entry. As a founding member of the E-Town Scholarship fund, he helps to support educational pursuits of children of formerly incarcerated individuals.
As Executive Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Wilson oversees BSE Global’s Diversity and Inclusion strategies and initiatives, and will help develop and execute the company’s overall social justice vision. Wilson began his career as a litigation associate at Graham Curtin law firm, before becoming General Counsel at All Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc., where he spent five years as a certified player agent and spearheaded the social responsibility and community efforts of professional athletes. More recently, Wilson was founder and CEO of Nova Fitness Innovation, where, as a Black entrepreneur, he not only focused on diversity and inclusion within his own company, but also participated in efforts to help other minority entrepreneurs break barriers he and his professional athlete clients had faced.
Erwin joins as General Manager of Barclays Center, coming into the role with more than 25 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Business Operations at TD Garden Arena in Boston. Prior to TD Garden, Erwin spent 15 years at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta where she held various roles including Vice President and General Manager, and ultimately, Chief Operating Officer. During her tenure, the venue received multiple accolades, including the ranking of #1 Theatre of the Decade Worldwide by Billboard. Erwin’s distinguished career also includes various management roles at TIAA Bank Field, American Airlines Center, Vystar Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts. She has received numerous accolades including VenuesNow’s Women of Influence Award, the Women Who Mean Business Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and the Ray Ward Award for extraordinary contributions to IAVM’s Venue Management School, as well as serving as the chair of the Board of Trustees for the IAVM Foundation.
“Adina is one of the most respected venue operators in the sports and entertainment industry and we are thrilled to have her as part of the ASM family” said Bob Newman, Chairman, ASM Global. “She’s a talented leader and we are very fortunate to be able to leverage her wealth of expertise as we plan for a new NBA season at Barclays Center and look forward to a robust entertainment season sometime soon.”
Giacalone joins Barclays Center as Vice President of Hospitality, overseeing the arena’s premium hospitality spaces and the concourse concessions, and working closely with Livio Velardo, who recently joined as Senior Executive Chef after serving as Executive Chef at the iconic Balthazar Restaurant and Bakery in New York City. Together, Giacalone and Velardo will curate a refreshed and exciting local food story as part of the arena’s Brooklyn Taste program. Giacalone joins the arena after serving as Director of Global Openings for Levy where he led a wide array of new venue launches, including Chase Center, the home of the Golden State Warriors, and Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. Prior to that, he was Director of Operations for Levy at Nassau Coliseum for two years and has additionally held director and management roles with Three Kings Restaurant Group and Goldman Sachs. He began his Levy career in 2012 helping to open Barclays Center as the General Manager of Concessions.
“We’re proud to bring aboard two incredibly talented hospitality experts in Chris Giacalone and Chef Livio Velardo as we look forward to welcoming guests back to Barclays Center,” said Andy Lansing, President and CEO, Levy. “Chris is one of the best in the business and has deep expertise in operating iconic sports and entertainment venues. He’ll partner with Chef Livio to deliver the food, beverage and hospitality that define the Brooklyn Taste experience. Chef Livio is a world-class chef and has led many of New York’s most lauded kitchens. Fans and guests should be excited about how their combined operational expertise and culinary creativity will show up at Barclays Center.”