Endeavor CFO Jason Lublin is leaving the talent agency to team up once again with Patrick Whitesell at WTSL, his new investment firm.
Lublin will serve as WTSL’s president and will also be a partner in the venture. He exits Endeavor after serving as its chief financial officer since 2007, a position in which he played an instrumental role in the company’s merger with William Morris Agency two years later.
“WTSL is uniquely positioned to help define the next chapter of growth and innovation in media, entertainment, and sports,” Lublin said in a Friday statement. “I’m excited to join Patrick again in building a firm that can support entrepreneurs, creators, and companies through both capital and operational partnership … These sectors are entering a new era, and we’re committed to working alongside those who will lead it.”
Lublin spent nearly 20 years at Endeavor overall, where he was also the agency’s chief operating officer and president of IMG College. Beyond driving the 2009 merger with William Morris, Lublin was integral in WME’s deals for IMG and UFC, and helped expand and reshape the agency’s media rights and live events deals.
He joins WTSL just a week after the Silver Lake-backed firm announced it was teaming up with Universal Music Group on a joint venture to “expand opportunities around artist-led IP,” as the companies put it. WTSL also has a deal with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
Whitesell started WTSL after leaving Endeavor, the company he co-founded alongside Ari Emanuel, earlier this year.
“Jason is one of the most experienced and respected dealmakers in our industry,” Whitesell said in a statement. “He has spent his career executing some of the most complicated and impactful transactions in media and sports, and his operational expertise across global businesses will be a major advantage as we grow WTSL and work with partners shaping the future of these industries.”
Lublin joining WTSL comes after he recently came aboard at Win Sports Group, the football representation firm Whitesell recently founded. He will serve as president and chief operating officer of Win Sports concurrently with his new role at WTSL.
