Agency reshuffle: Perale joins CAA, new partners at ICM

Corporate strategy specialist Matteo Perale has joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to lead the booking and sports agency’s “aggressive growth and diversification” efforts worldwide.

Perale comes to CAA from sports marketing giant Infront Sports and Media, where he was director of strategic development and was responsible for, among other things, reorganising the company’s digital media business. Before Infront he worked for 11 years in private equity, most recently at Bridgeport Capital.

“It is one thing for CAA to maintain its dominant market position year after year for decades, but quite another to watch it drive the industry forward in the intelligent, ambitious and innovative way it has done in recent years,” says Perale.  “I feel very lucky to join the company and help capitalise on its entirely unique global platform.  As content, sports, media, technology and brands continue to converge, the opportunities for CAA and its clients are limitless.”

CAA last week promoted five trainees to full agents.

Booking agents Dennis Ashley and Robert Gibbs, who co-run ICM’s West Coast urban music division, are among the company’s new partners

At ICM Partners, meanwhile, no less than nine agents are now partners in the business.

Music agents Dennis Ashley and Robert Gibbs, who co-run ICM’s West Coast urban music division, are among the new partners. The agents’ powerhouse roster includes J. Cole, Missy Elliott and D’Angelo, as well as Mary J. Blige, who signed with ICM last month.

“We founded ICM Partners on the principle of rewarding success and providing an opportunity for growth for our agents,” the company said in a statement. “The spirit of teamwork and collegiality that we envision is embodied by this outstanding group of agents.”

ICM now has a total of 47 partners.