InfrontRingier, the Infront Sports & Media agency’s joint venture with Swiss media company Ringier, has hired an executive with Swiss Super League football club FC Basel as its new managing director.
Martin Blaser will succeed Gian Gilli at the Swiss sports marketing agency as part of a plan that has been in place since the latter’s appointment in November 2015.
The 49-year-old Blaser (pictured) is currently serving as director of marketing, sales and business development at FC Basel.
Gilli replaced Armin Meier as managing director of InfrontRingier. Alongside his InfrontRingier commitments, Gilli has remained the secretary general of the organising committee for the 2020 Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland.
He has dedicated 20 per cent of his time to the championship but will now take on a full-time secretary general role.
Marc Walder, chief executive of Ringier and president of the board of InfrontRingier, said: “As it was clear from the beginning that at the end of 2017, Gian was fully committed to the role of head of the IIHF Ice Hockey (Championship) it was important for InfrontRingier to find the right successor at an early stage.
“With Martin Blaser, I am convinced to have found this. Martin Blaser has done a great job at FC Basel 1893. His experience in the fields of marketing and sales, as well as leadership, makes him the ideal candidate to further develop InfrontRingier and further expand our leading market position.”
Blaser added: “I am taking over from Gian a motivated team and an exciting portfolio and will do everything possible to further strengthen and expand InfrontRingier. I think that with my experience in Swiss sport, as well as in sales and marketing, I can make a decisive contribution to the further development of InfrontRingier.”