After five years as CEO of the FEI World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014, Fabien Grobon joins EEM as Managing Director, starting September 1, 2015.
He will now manage the team at EEM, the company founded in 2009 by Christophe Ameeuw, who remains CEO. He will continue to consolidate the development of the Longines Masters series, now on three continents and recognized as the most prestigious indoor showjumping competition worldwide.
A 2000 graduate from Insead, Fabien Grobon joined consulting firm AT Kearney as Senior Associate, and then turned his attention to the sports business. From 2001 to 2010, he held the positions of General Manager of Marketing and Licensing and then Managing Director of Sponsorship within the French tennis federation for the French Open, Roland Garros.
“The arrival of Fabien in EEM is an important step in the development of our company and our projects. His experience and skills in sports management, both in the 2014 WEG and Roland Garros, will help us pursue our ambition to bring the concept of the Longines Masters to the front of the international stage,” said Christophe Ameeuw, Founder and CEO of EEM.
ABOUT EEM
To reinvent Show Jumping! What an ambitious goal EEM CEO and Founder Christophe Ameeuw and his team have set for themselves! For over ten years they have been dedicated to bringing equestrian sports to the international front stage. Inspired by the Grand Slam in tennis and its legendary tournaments, EEM gathers under one roof the best of the sport, entertainment and glamour.
2009 was a crucial milestone for EEM with the revival of the Jumping de Paris and the creation of the Gucci Paris Masters, as it marked the beginning of their international development. EEM then set off to conquer new continents. An Asian edition took place in Hong Kong in 2013, followed in 2014 by the first American stage of the Longines Masters in Los Angeles. This first edition on the American continent was welcomed by renowned sports channel ESPN with the headline “The Next Big USA Sport”.
In 2015 the intercontinental trilogy becomes the Longines Masters, presented by EEM.
ABOUT THE LONGINES MASTERS
Established in three of the biggest cities – Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong – the unique Longines Masters series is recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale and is one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions worldwide. Created by EEM, the concept of the Masters was born in 2009 with the first edition of the Gucci Paris Masters, now renamed the Longines Masters of Paris. Inspired by the Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, the circuit rapidly developed abroad, with the Longines Masters of Hong Kong in 2013 and the Longines Masters of Los Angeles in 2014. In 2015, the circuit was renamed the Longines Masters, this term covers all legs of the series.
The world’s best riders and horses will compete for one million dollars in prize money at each leg of the series. In addition, any rider who consecutively wins the Longines Masters Grands Prix in Paris, Hong Kong and Los Angeles will be rewarded with one million euros Masters Grand Slam bonus. For two successive victories, the rider will be awarded €500,000, and winners of two non-successive victories within a series of three Longines Masters Grand Prix will receive a €250,000 bonus.
These events are broadcast in more than 120 countries and reach almost 550 million viewers. Every edition of the Longines Masters is must-attend event that brings together sports enthusiasts, amateurs, celebrities and corporate decisionmakers from around the world, who come to enjoy a unique experience, boasting exceptional sport, entertainment, glamour, gastronomy and contemporary art.
• Longines Masters of Los Angeles October 1 to 4, 2015
• Longines Masters of Paris December 3 to 6, 2015
• Longines Masters of Hong Kong February 19 to 21, 2016
Source: Press release