The PGA Tour announced Monday it has hired Andy Weitz to serve as chief marketing and communications officer and executive vice president of investor relations.
The investor relations portion of the role will focus on developing messaging and communicating strategy for PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit subsidiary of PGA Tour, Inc. The group was formed this year when Strategic Sports Group made an initial investment of $1.5 billion in the new commercial venture that gives players an investor stake in the business.
Weitz spent the past decade working for Aon plc, most recently as chief marketing officer for the global professional services firm. Aon has built deep relationships in golf in recent years.
Read the full media release announcing Weitz’s hiring below:
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA Tour today announced that Andy Weitz has been named Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Executive Vice President, Investor Relations, for the Tour’s global operations. In the role, Weitz will be responsible for positioning the PGA Tour brand for current and future investment while communicating its global strategy and performance to the Tour’s stakeholders and beyond.
“As our business continues to evolve and grow, Andy will be an invaluable addition to the PGA Tour given his experience as a trusted advisor to many of the world’s largest and most influential companies,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With his track record of helping global companies tell their stories and engage their stakeholders, as well as his deep knowledge of the business community, Andy will be instrumental in further elevating the PGA Tour brand and helping our organization grow.”
In addition to overseeing marketing and communications for the PGA Tour, Weitz will take on a newly created investor relations role that is responsible for developing messaging and communicating strategy for PGA Tour Enterprises, a for-profit subsidiary of PGA Tour, Inc., incorporated earlier this year. In January, the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) made an initial investment of $1.5 billion – with up to $3 billion available – into the new commercial venture, and this funding will allow the PGA Tour to make significant strategic investments to enhance the PGA Tour experience for fans and players, and benefitting tournaments, sponsors and other constituents.
Through the PGA Tour Enterprises structure, the PGA Tour unveiled a Player Equity Program, a first in professional sports. PGA Tour players now have an investor stake in the Tour’s commercial growth, which creates alignment between the organization’s athletes and the strategic investments that will further grow the game and engage the next generation of fans.
“With the launch of PGA Tour Enterprises and the investment made by SSG, the PGA Tour’s business has grown significantly in value, opportunity and complexity,” said Joe Gorder, PGA Tour Enterprises Board Chairman. “This new role is important to the PGA Tour’s ability to successfully execute its strategy and deliver an engaging, satisfying future product for fans.”
“In our search, Andy’s experience and clear ability to use a mix of techniques to reach and engage everyone from Main Street consumers to Wall Street investors stood out,” said Ed Herlihy, PGA Tour Policy Board Chairman. “I am confident Andy will contribute enormously to the organization’s future success.”
Weitz comes to the PGA Tour following a decade at Aon plc, where he most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for the global professional services firm. During his tenure at Aon, Weitz led the integration of the worldwide marketing and communications team and the unification of its global brand strategy, including a rationalization of its sponsorship portfolio, which included properties across Premier League football, Formula One racing, Major League Baseball, the National Football League and international rugby. While at Aon, Weitz was also responsible for leading the firm’s widely recognized brand building efforts, especially advancements in its use of digital strategies to engage the firm’s colleagues, clients and investors.
In 2019, Aon established an Official Marketing Partnership with the PGA Tour, beginning with the award-winning “Aon Risk Reward Challenge” that launched simultaneously on the LPGA Tour and was the first program to offer equal prize money to winners on the men’s and women’s tours. At that time, Aon also became a worldwide partner of the Ryder Cup and introduced the “Nicklaus/Jacklin Award presented by Aon,” which recognizes the player that best represents the spirit of each Ryder Cup competition. More recently, Aon evolved its PGA Tour relationship to include naming rights to the new eligibility paths for Signature Events, known as the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5, and transitioned the Aon Risk Reward Challenge into “Aon Better Decision Breakdowns” to emphasize the use of real-time data during in-telecast segments to analyze player decisions. In parallel, the firm has continued it successful Aon Risk Reward Challenge program with the LPGA.
“I’ve seen the power of the PGA Tour brand firsthand, as both a fan and a partner, and am truly excited to play a role in growing its global impact at this transformative moment,” Weitz said. “As the organization evolves, it’s critical that we stay focused on fan priorities, aligned with player interests and accountable to partner and investor expectations. I’m looking forward to listening to and learning from all our stakeholders.”
Prior to joining Aon in 2014, Weitz was U.S. President and Chief Executive Officer of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a leading global strategic communications consultancy in the WPP portfolio. While there, he also served as Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. region and as Vice-Chair of the global Corporate Advisory Practice, which included the financial, internal, corporate communications and public affairs practices of the global firm.
Weitz holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Weitz and his family will relocate to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, this summer, and formally begin his work with the PGA Tour in mid-August.
The PGA Tour thanks its partners at Korn Ferry for the successful completion of this important executive search.
