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Legends installs ex-Meta executive Dan Levy as CEO

The company's reputed $2.4 billion acquisition of ASM Global is currently awaiting approval from the US Department of Justice

By James Hanley on 23 Apr 2024

Dan Levy


image © Legends

Premium experiences specialist Legends – which agreed a deal to acquire ASM Global last year – has appointed ex-Meta executive Dan Levy as CEO.

Levy, who joined Legends last month as interim president, served at Meta/Facebook for almost 15 years, latterly as VP of business messaging, before departing the company in 2023.

First reported by Sports Business Journal, Levy’s appointment will see former Legends’ CEO Shervin Mirhashemi transition to the position of vice-chair at the company.

“We are poised to take Legends to new horizons at the forefront of sports and entertainment”

“You have my commitment that this next chapter of Legends’ growth trajectory will be the most impressive yet,” Mirhashemi told employees in an email. “With Dan as CEO, together with [co-president and COO] Mike Tomon and the rest of our seasoned management team, we are poised to take Legends to new horizons at the forefront of sports and entertainment.”

Levy’s recent arrival at Legends coincided with the departures of multiple Legends executives, including former co-president and chief corporate officer Curt McClellan and longtime president of hospitality Dan Smith, who moved into a senior advisory role. The firm named Tom Funk as president, hospitality, in January.

Legends’ reputed US$2.4 billion acquisition of ASM Global was announced in November 2023 and is currently awaiting approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

ASM Global, which was formed in 2019 following a merger between arena operators AEG Facilities and Onex’s SMG, operates buildings including ICC Sydney Convention Center, Avicii Arena in Stockholm, OVO Arena Wembley, Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

ASM equity holders AEG and Onex will sell their ownership interests as part of the agreement, while ASM will continue to serve existing and in-development AEG venues.

Founded in 2008, Legends is backed by global investment firm Sixth Street. The company’s fully integrated retail and merchandising vertical solution spans e-commerce, in-venue retail, large-scale live events, brick-and-mortar store operations, licensing and customer merchandise.

Its clients include prestigious brands such as Real Madrid, SoFi Stadium, Dallas Cowboys, FC Barcelona, New York Yankees, and Ryder Cup, as well as the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, PGA of America and FIFA World Cup.

 


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