After fifteen years of service, Alex Tielbeke is leaving the Eredivisie CV (ECV). In his current role, he was statutory director of the ECV and Commercial Director of Eredivisie Media & Marketing (EMM), the media company that manages collective media and sponsorship rights for Eredivisie clubs. Tielbeke will leave his job with ECV as of 1 August but will stay with EMM until 1 December in order to hand-over his responsibilities.
Alex Tielbeke (57) started with ECV in 2004 and led the successful development and growth of innovative sponsorship concepts. Significant changes were also implemented in the management of collective media and sponsorship rights, one of the highpoints of which was the creation of a separate media company for the clubs in 2008: Eredivisie Media & Marketing CV (EMM). EMM is particularly well-known for operating TV channels FOX Sports and FOX and now holds a 51% share in The Walt Disney Company.
Alex Tielbeke: “I have really enjoyed working in the world of Dutch football for the past fifteen years. That is quite a long time in this dynamic world and I have loved every second. I particularly relished the creation and sale of our ‘own’ TV channel (previously Eredivisie Live and now FOX Sports); it was like an adventure from a boy’s story book. Aside from my own fantastic personal experience, the initiative also gave a substantial boost to the sports rights market in the Netherlands. For me, now feels like the right moment to move the goalposts. I would like to thank all of my colleagues and business partners over the years, for an amazing experience, and I’d especially like to thank all of the Eredivisie clubs for the faith they had in me.”
John Jaakke, chairman Eredivisie CV: “With the departure of Alex, we are bidding farewell to an experienced and valued director. His expertise in the development of media and sponsorship rights in the sport is still of huge value to the Eredivisie clubs. It is a great shame that he is leaving us but we understand why and respect his choice to take on another challenge, after fifteen years. We wish him every success and will miss his drive, innovation and capacity to unite different parties and people.”
Frank Rutten, on behalf of the Management Board of EMM: “With his departure, Alex is taking a great deal of Eredivisie expertise and experience with him. Above all, however, we are saying goodbye to a highly valued colleague who has provided an important contribution towards the growth and development of EMM. We will miss him as an engaging and genuine personality with an unstoppable ambition to continuously develop and take the initiative. We wish him every success and hope that our paths cross again in the future.”
