Lisa Pennington, Chief Operating Officer, BLR WorldBLR WORLD, a consultancy catering to culture, entertainment and mega-event and experiential sectors, has appointed Lisa Pennington as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
To be based out of the BLR WORLD Dubai office in the UAE and with a global remit, Pennington is a C-suite executive leader who brings more than 25 years of global experience in governance and leadership as a subject-matter expert in sports and events, as well as 10 years’ experience of delivering events in the Middle East.
Pennington previously held a Senior Leadership role at FIFA as Director of Services in the Event Operations Division, where she was responsible for the governance and leadership of the Services Sub-Division which consisted of several functional areas including Workforce, Human Resources and Recruitment for FIFA World Cup subsidiaries, volunteers, guest experience, as well as the operations for the FIFA World Cup™, FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and all other FIFA Tournaments,
Commenting on the appointment, Micah Styles, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BLR WORLD, said, “The appointment of Lisa Pennington as COO reflects our commitment to provide the right people in the right place at the right time to deliver exceptional experiences and flawless operations to the sports, entertainment and mega-events industries.”
“As one of the most respected professionals in our sector, Lisa brings tremendous experience of regional events on a global stage, and managing large-scale, world-class experiences with flawless skill and organisational methods. She shares our passion for people, and for delivering spectacular events and experiences in the sports, entertainment, art and culture sectors that amaze and captivate. We are thrilled to set out on this bold new chapter of BLR WORLD,” Styled added
The appointment reflects BLR WORLD’s growth in the sporting industry, and its track record for delivering projects for major global sports events such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ and Paris Olympics & Paralympics 2024™.
Adept at designing project-based organisations, Pennington’s expertise in building and leading large teams ensures the curation and delivery of exceptional experiences, planning and execution of flawless operations and provision of seamless service excellence.
Pennington also brings a breadth of knowledge and expertise from advisory, consulting and delivering projects at some of the world’s largest sporting events and mega events such as Olympic Games and Expo 2020, as well as delivery of global sports sponsorship hospitality programmes for Sponsors/Partners and high profile events for UAE and UK Governments.
Reacting to the appointment, Lisa Pennington, Chief Operating Officer of BLR WORLD, said, “Throughout my career, I have been driven by a desire to build global teams that create exceptional and iconic moments. This passion is also central to the focus of my new role at BLR WORLD, and I am excited to start forging new teams that unite experts from around the world under a common goal of setting new benchmarks in delivering events and experiences globally. In line with the group’s tagline – Simply Brilliant People – I also aim to provide opportunities for as many talented professionals as possible, and give back to this industry that has given me such a rewarding career”
Pennington added, “There has never been a more dynamic time to work across the sports, entertainment, events, culture, and tourism industries both within the Middle East and across BLR WORLD’s global network. I’m thrilled to take up the role of COO with BLR and utilise my experience and expertise to add value and make a difference. I’m excited that I get to continue what I did at FIFA which is to build and lead teams of ‘Simply Brilliant People’ for major sporting events and other iconic moments globally.”
