The San Francisco 49ers formally announced new organizational roles for several team executives, including Paraag Marathe and Al Guido. Guido has assumed the role of President, while Marathe has been named Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Football Operations, in addition to becoming a Managing Partner in the investment entity created by the York Family.
Additionally, 49ers executives Ethan Casson, Hannah Gordon, Brano Perkovich and Scott Sabatino all have new roles. Casson has been named Chief Operating Officer and Perkovich is now the team's Chief Investment Officer, while Gordon will serve as General Counsel. Sabatino has assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer, filling the position previously held by Cipora Herman, who has chosen to transition out of a day-to-day role with the organization to focus on her family and charitable interests in the Bay Area. Herman will continue to work with the team as a consultant to the CFO.
"We have seen tremendous growth as an organization over the last several years due to the talents, hard work and leadership of our executive staff," said 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York. "They are excellent professionals who thrive on new opportunities, and I am excited about what lies ahead for them and our team.
"After many successful years running our business and leading our new stadium efforts, culminating in the opening of Levi's Stadium and hosting Super Bowl 50, Paraag has chosen to step away from the day-to-day business operations of the team and partner with me, and my family, as we focus on new investments and ventures. On the team side, he will continue to report directly to me and have a significant role in major strategic decisions for the club as Chief Strategy Officer. Paraag will continue to serve in his long-respected role as the team's chief contract negotiator, working alongside Trent and Chip within all football operations.
"The 49ers business operations team will continue to be in great hands with Al. Not only has he proven his value to this organization by leading a record-setting sales campaign for Levi's Stadium, but he has also spearheaded the development of a 365-day-a-year experience at the venue, rivaling that of any other sports and entertainment facility in the world. Al has a tremendous feel for what the Faithful want and deserve from our organization, and I am extremely confident in his ability to deliver on that great responsibility.
"I am very grateful to Cipora for her many contributions to this team over the last four years. She played an instrumental role in helping this organization navigate uncharted waters during the opening of Levi's Stadium and its first two years of operation, in particular her leadership in securing the long-term financing for the building. We certainly wish her the best in her new endeavors, but also look forward to her continued counsel as a consultant."
Guido oversees all business initiatives for the organization. Under his direction, the construction and year-one operations of Levi's Stadium exceeded all projections – finishing under budget on construction, with lower public debt than projected, delivering $2.8 million to the City of Santa Clara general fund from non-NFL event revenue in just the first eight months of operations, and fully funding reserve cash balances for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. Additionally, Guido has been focused on developing the fan experience both inside and out of Levi's Stadium, having substantially grown the team's digital content, communications and stadium operations departments.
Marathe's intimate knowledge of the 49ers from more than 15 years with the team, along with his experience on both the football and business sides, have awarded him great insight into the workings of the NFL and team sports. As part of the 49ers New Ventures effort, he has already led a number of transactions as the team looks for investment opportunities in and out of sports to expand the 49ers brand. Throughout the years, Marathe has established himself as one of the most accomplished contract negotiators and salary cap architects in the NFL.
Under the direction of Guido and Marathe, the technologically enhanced fan experience at Levi's Stadium has already garnered industry recognition, most notably Sports Business Journal's 2015 Sports Facility of the Year and Venue of the Year at the 2015 Stadium Business Awards in Barcelona, Spain.
Casson will oversee all revenue streams, business operations and analytics, marketing functions and customer service for the 49ers organization, in addition to managing those of the Santa Clara Stadium Authority and its tenants for Levi's Stadium. Casson is heading into his seventh season with the 49ers, serving the last two as Chief Revenue Officer.
Gordon will oversee the legal operations of the team, including its government affairs and risk management functions. She begins her sixth season with the 49ers, having previously served as the Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs.
Perkovich focuses on new strategic business initiatives and early stage and growth equity investment opportunities in sports, technology and strategically adjacent consumer markets where innovative companies can leverage the 49ers access and network to help drive product adoption and accelerate growth. He begins his third season with the 49ers having served as Executive Vice President of New Ventures and a Managing Partner in the investment entity created by the York Family.
Sabatino will oversee the management of financial operations of the team and stadium-related entities in addition to the team's human resources and information technology functions. He begins his seventh season with the 49ers, having previously served as the Vice President of Finance.
