Mandalay Sports Media (MSM) has named Funny Or Die’s Dick Glover as its new CEO.
In the role, Glover will oversee MSM’s day-to-day business operations, including merges and acquisitions activity, business development and strategic partnerships, while working closely with co-founder Mike Tollin to develop original sports properties across all media.
Glover will remain on Funny Or Die’s Board; Mitch Galbraith will take over day-to-day CEO duties. Prior to his tenure at the Will Ferrell–Adam McKay comedy company, Glover served as vice president of Broadcasting and New Media for NASCAR and its Digital Entertainment wing, overseeing all television, new media businesses and entertainment programming.
A 20-year veteran of the broadcasting and media industry, Glover served additional stints as an executive at The Walt Disney Company, including eight years at ESPN, where he oversaw all aspects of domestic programming and launched ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. He began his career with the WWE.
On his reasons for making the move, Glover stated, “It’s simple. Given the opportunity to get back into my first love, sports, and to partner with Peter [Guber] and Mike, I jumped at the opportunity. This is the perfect spot for me. Mike and I go back years, to my days at ESPN. I am totally psyched to work with Mike and Peter to leverage our unique and incomparable assets into a first-class company.”
“Dick’s the dream guy for us,” added Tollin. “He knows sports and he knows both old and new media. He’s smart, savvy and strategic.”
Tomorrow, Season 2 of MSM’s “Undrafted” premieres on CBS. In November, the company’s “Kareem: A Minority of One” will debut on HBO.
Here is Glover’s internal Funny Or Die memo:
As some of you may already be aware, I am going to take on a different role at FOD starting after the Board Meeting on October 9. I will no longer be CEO but will be an active Board member advising and working closely with the senior management team on FOD’s growth strategies and implementation, on-going projects and priorities and key business decisions. While the day-to-day operations will no longer be my responsibility, I anticipate I won’t be able to help myself so will probably meddle there, too. Nothing about what we do or how we do it will change. The only thing changing is my title and role. I hope I will continue to add value in many of the ways I currently do but it will be from a different seat.
Next up for me will be running Mandalay Sports Media where my partners will be old friends Peter Guber and Mike Tollin and where I have been a board member for the past 2 years. My first love is sports so I am excited about getting back into that arena (pun intended).
More on that later, but right now, the focus is and should be on Funny Or Die and all the great things we have in front of us. There is plenty of time for a smooth transition that will begin now. Mitch Galbraith will take over the day-to-day CEO duties when I leave. This is a no brainer- Mitch was employee number 1 at FOD, is already COO and President of Digital and has all the requisite skills to help us optimize our current strategy and priorities. He and I have worked closely for years. The Board will also do a comprehensive search to be certain we are looking at all opportunities. We’ll have more at an All Hands meeting that will be scheduled shortly. I trust that you will give Mitch the same support and respect you have given me.
I’ve been with Funny Or Die for almost 8 years. It has been a blast! We have accomplished much and are well positioned to accomplish a lot more in the coming months and years. I’ve happily put my blood, sweat, tears…and wallet… into FOD and will continue to do so. At the new intern lunch last week, one of the interns asked me what I liked best about FOD- I quickly answered “the people.” That means you, the team. It really has been a treat and an honor leading you.
I was going to try to write a funny, poignant, wise, lengthy farewell memo but just realized I have neither the sense of humor, pathos or wisdom to do so. So, I will leave it at this: THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO WORK WITH AND FOR YOU OVER THESE PAST 8 YEARS. I look forward to continuing to be a part of everything we accomplish.