World Surf League Appoints Joseph Carr as Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International

Carr joins the WSL from UFC where he served as a Senior Vice President and Head of International and Content, managing the organization's global strategy, operations and media business. In his new role at the WSL, Carr will lead the strategy and execution of the League's international business and spearhead further integration with the Kelly Slater Wave Company.

"As a lifelong sports fan, I've had the opportunity to witness the WSL's impressive growth over the last few years," said Carr. "It felt like the perfect time to join the organization and help it further alter the landscape of sport through continued digital innovation and a commitment to its athletes. Few sports have such a global and passionate fan base and a lifestyle component that extends far beyond competition. I am looking forward to driving the League's expansion efforts and making the WSL a globally-recognized brand."

Carr is uniquely positioned to drive the League's global expansion. In his capacity as UFC's Head of International and Content, Carr crafted the organization's international expansion strategy bringing new live events around the world, managed the organization's OTT service – UFC FIGHT PASS, and helped lead the largest buyout in sports history with the sale of UFC to WME-IMG. He first joined UFC as a Senior Director of Investment and Strategy, where his key focus included corporate development, athlete marketing, content strategy, and expansion into emerging markets. Prior to the UFC, Carr worked in private equity.

WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt welcomed Carr to the League, "Joe has a very impressive background with groundbreaking achievements in driving the growth of UFC's global business. He will bring deep experience of developing and executing international growth strategies and also has a proven track record of working with athletes. He will be a fantastic addition to the organization.''

With Carr's appointment, the WSL further underscores its commitment to further globalization and adds to its impressive roster of talented and experienced sports executives. Carr will be focused on fulfilling Goldschmidt's vision for expanding engagement around the world, cultivating athlete development programs and unique fan experiences, as well as leveraging the unparalleled opportunity the League has to further integrate the Kelly Slater Wave Company and its groundbreaking technology as well as support the inclusion of surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to evolve the landscape of competitive surfing around the world.

About the World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL), formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a truly global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.

The WSL has been championing the world's best surfing since 1976, running in excess of 180 global events across the Men's and Women's Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed world champions in Men’s, Women’s across all divisions within the tour.

Showcasing the world's best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the free WSL app, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Tyler Wright, John John Florence, Paige Alms, Grant Baker, Phil Rajzman, Tory Gilkerson, Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue and more battle on the most unpredictable and dynamic field of play of any sport in the world.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

SOURCE World Surf League

Related Links

http://www.worldsurfleague.com