Louisa DaleyCoventry Building Society (CBS) Arena has appointed Claire Harkness as its operation director.
In her new role, Harkness will be responsible for leading the venue’s live events strategy. She will also lead on match-day operations for football fixtures at the venue, exhibitions and live entertainment, and health and safety for events.
Harkness previously worked with the operations team at Coventry Building Society Arena on the delivery of The Killers concert in the stadium bowl in 2022.
Over the course of her 28-year career, Harkness has held a range of roles in event management, venue operations and event safety – working with organisations including MTV, BBC, the Scottish Government, UEFA, the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
She has held senior positions with Glasgow City Council, Rangers FC, Liverpool Football Club, Levy at Ibrox Stadium and Liverpool City Council, where she developed the delivery of Liverpool Without Walls, which was a benchmark initiative for getting hospitality back up and running post-pandemic.
Paul Michael, managing director, CBS Arena, said: “Claire brings with her a wealth of experience in the events sector and will be a real asset to our team.
“She will play a leading role in transforming our live events strategy and driving growth in that area to give long-term benefits to the venue.”