Joe GallopGlobal venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, Oak View Group (OVG), has appointed Francesca Bodie as chief operating officer (COO).
In the newly established position, OVG said Bodie’s role will increase from capital development, mergers, and acquisitions to a focus on new revenue streams including overseeing all day-to-day operations for OVG globally, as well as leading OVG’s executive committee.
Bodie’s promotion comes as OVG announces a major strategic investment in Family Entertainment Holdings (FEH), as well as newly announced Navarro’s activations in partnership with Christian Navarro following OVG’s April 2023 announcement of the venture.
In addition to her ongoing responsibility for capital investment strategy and mergers and acquisitions, Bodie will lead the company in building processes across human resources, finance, legal, and marketing. Based in Denver, Bodie will report to OVG chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke.
Leiweke said, “2023 was a pivotal year for Oak View Group across its service business and owned and operated portfolio. OVG is the only company in history to build and open seven brand-new state-of-the-art venues within 18 months, and Francesca contributed greatly to that growth and success. As we look to the future, we’re honoured to have Francesca as OVG’s first COO to nurture and mature our current businesses and spearhead our next phase of growth in 2024 and beyond.”
Presently, Bodie is leading upcoming OVG development projects including the new $10 billion arena and live entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV, featuring an 850,000sqft NBA-ready arena, a casino, a hotel, and an additional amphitheatre to host concerts, sports events, family entertainment, conventions, and award shows; a new arena in São Paulo, BZ; renovation of the FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; and the $365 million Co-op Live in Manchester.
Additionally, Bodie was responsible for sourcing and executing OVG’s acquisition of hospitality provider Rhubarb Hospitality Collection (joining other recent OVG hospitality acquisitions Spectra, Spectrum Catering, and Bovingdons).