Ironman Appoints New Managing Director Of Europe, Middle East And Africa

Published January 19, 2016 12:25PM

Ironman and Infront Sports & Media today announced that Hans-Peter Zurbruegg has been appointed as the Managing Director of Ironman Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). The executive will also continue in his role as the lead for Infront’s Active Lifestyle & Endurance Business.

“We are thrilled to have Hans-Peter join the team. He has an exceptional endurance business background, and as an Ironman finisher, understands the athlete experience and embodies our brand,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman. “I am confident that with Hans-Peter’s leadership we will see strong growth in the region.”

Zurbruegg currently heads the Active Lifestyle & Endurance unit at Infront Sports & Media managing Operations, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives for the diverse portfolio. This includes media and marketing partnerships for the BMW Berlin-Marathon, the World Marathon Majors and the Swiss Cycling/Tour de Suisse, as well as full event management and organization for the Infront owned events—the European corporate running series B2RUN and the Happy 10K fun run events held in China. In his new role he will continue to oversee these properties as well as the Ironman EMEA business, which will remain headquartered in Liederbach, Germany.

“Following the creation and development of the Active Lifestyle & Endurance unit at Infront, I am delighted to add Ironman, the global leader in mass participation sports, to my responsibilities. I look forward to contributing to the sustainable growth of the sport of triathlon in Europe, Middle East & Africa, and helping the team continue to create unparalleled experiences for our athletes,” added Zurbruegg.

Philippe Blatter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Infront Sports & Media and Wanda Sports Holding: “With Infront and Ironman aligned under one roof, we are able to fully deploy our synergies and foster knowledge transfer within the Wanda Sports businesses. Overseeing both Infront’s Active Lifestyle business and Ironman EMEA, Hans-Peter Zurbruegg and his team will spur further growth, as well as enhance the individual profile and strength of all our diverse endurance properties—each according to its unique characteristics and participants.”

Hans-Peter Zurbruegg has worked for Infront since 2001 and has held several leadership positions, including Director of Business Development and Head of Controlling & Risk Management. Zurbruegg holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Corporate Finance from the University of Zurich/Lucerne, an MBA from Northwestern University, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).