Some eight-plus years after the departure of larger-than-life leader Tim Leiweke, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has turned to another big personality to take the helm.
On Thursday, the sports and entertainment conglomerate confirmed Keith Pelley, a veteran sports and broadcasting executive, as its new president and CEO.
Pelley, who has been CEO of golf’s European Tour Group since the summer of 2015, starts his new job on April 2.
He previously served as president of Rogers Media, the Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, TSN and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
“Keith is a dynamic and innovative leader who is firmly committed to building a championship culture at every level in the organization as well as reinforcing MLSE’s pride in its leadership roles in our industry and community,” MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum said in a statement Thursday.
Unlike the American Leiweke, Pelley is a local boy. He grew up in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke and graduated from Ryerson University, now called Toronto Metropolitan University.
“This role with MLSE, and the chance to be involved with my hometown sports teams in Toronto, was the one opportunity that I simply could not resist,” Pelley said in a statement issued by the European Tour Group, which administers the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Legends Tour, G4D Tour and the Ryder Cup in Europe.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do at some point in my career and I’m very grateful to be given that chance.”
Pelley succeeds Michael Friisdahl, who left MLSE in February 2022 to take over as executive chairman of Signature Aviation, a British-based multinational aviation services company. Friisdahl had been in charge since December 2015.
Unlike Leiweke, who was the face of MLSE during his tenure, Friisdahl preferred to work behind the scenes in steering the company through the pandemic and other challenges.
Leiweke, in contrast, made headlines from the get-go when he admitted in one of his first interviews on the job that he already had the Maple Leafs’ victory parade route mapped out. Leiweke dreamt big and helped turn Toronto FC around with some bold player moves, among other accomplishments.
Pelley is also a big character, who understands the draw of elite athletes.
“At the end of the day, yes, we’re in the golf business but really golf is just the platform.” Pelley said in an interview shortly after taking over the European Tour Group. “We’re in the content/entertainment business. And our players, which are our recipe…
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