Head Of The Charles Regatta Names Sports and Media Executive Tori Stevens To Lead The World’s Largest Rowing Event
The search was supported by TurnkeyZRG.
Boston, MA. — The Head Of The Charles Regatta (HOCR), the world’s largest rowing regatta, announced today that Tori Stevens will assume the role of Executive Director beginning July 1, 2024.
Succeeding Fred Schoch’s 33-year tenure leading the Regatta, Stevens comes to HOCR as its 2nd Executive Director in its 59-year history after serving as CEO for SUP3R, an affiliated company of Superfly.
“When we launched our international search last year, we were dedicated to find a leader who would join us in our commitment to running a world-class regatta and at the same time help us think proactively about the areas where we can continue to pioneer, grow, and improve,” said Tim Fulham, Chair of the HOCR board of directors. “Tori’s impressive career speaks for itself. Her ability to be forward thinking while respecting the history of the Regatta makes her the right leader for the Regatta now and into the future.”
Stevens brings over two decades’ worth of global leadership experience in the sports, media and technology industries. Most recently, she served as the CEO for SUP3R. Previously, Stevens held executive positions at GumGum Sports, the Sports Innovation Lab, CSM Sports & Entertainment and the Boston Consulting Group. She also spent 15 years at ESPN where, among many positions, she served as Vice President of Global X Games Events and Operations.
“I am honored to be selected as the next Executive Director of the Head Of The Charles Regatta,” said Stevens. “I am excited to work with our team of staff and volunteers as we welcome athletes, coaches, and spectators to our iconic Regatta. I know we will build on the Regatta’s legacy as we grow and innovate both in the sport of rowing and how we support our communities.”
She is a board member of USA Pickleball, a member of Chief, Boston, WISE (Women in Sports Tech., Inc.), Women in Innovation, and an advisor for MBA Sports Business Alliance. She has a BA from Dartmouth and an MBA from Columbia. She has been a competitive Marathoner and Ironman athlete.
“The 2024 Regatta on October 18th-20th will be particularly exciting,” continued Fulham. “Since we are in an Olympic year, we expect over 50 Olympians will be in Boston to compete, along with our regular complement of youth, collegiate, and masters’ athletes. We will be introducing Tori to the rowing community at an exciting time for the Regatta.”
ABOUT HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA
Founded in 1965, the Head Of The Charles has become the world’s largest rowing regatta and the preeminent regatta on the USRowing calendar. The three-day world regatta welcomes over 12,000 athletes from 30 countries and nearly all the US states. The 400,000+ spectators who attend every year create an estimated economic impact in Massachusetts of over $88 million. It is the third largest outdoor event in Boston, alongside the 4th of July and Boston Marathon. The HOCR is one of the largest volunteer-driven sporting events in the world with 2,400 dedicated volunteers. The Regatta is a pioneer in inclusion with full integration of events for para-athletes.. It is the only major sporting event of its size to achieve gender parity (50-50 male-female) and is committed to create a welcoming environment for athletes and spectators of all gender IDs. Through its partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and environmental organizations like the Charles River Watershed Association, HOCR has taken a leadership role in its commitment to sustainability. Head Of The Charles is a registered trademark of the Cambridge Boat Club, 2 Gerry’s Landing Road, Cambridge, MA. For more information, call Head of the Charles at (617) 868-6200, email regatta@hocr.org
About TurnkeyZRG
TurnkeyZRG is North America’s top talent advisory and search firms in sports, music and entertainment with more than 1,800 placements since 1996. TurnkeyZRG has placed CEOs, Presidents, Commissioners, and other executives, spanning all functional areas, into the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, SUM, NWSL, NASCAR, Indy Car, tennis, golf, college sports, etc. Recently TurnkeyZRG placed the Commissioners of the ACC, PAC-12, Big 12, Big Ten and the President of the NCAA and the firm was ranked as the 4th most influential player in college sports. Since being acquired by ZRG in 2020, TurnkeyZRG has experienced tremendous growth from implementing ZRG’s data-driven, tech-driven talent process.
About ZRG
ZRG is a global search and talent advisory firm with 30+ offices on five continents that provides people solutions for our clients' most complex talent issues. Core offerings include revolutionary, data-based, executive search focusing on senior leadership around the world. ZRG’s suite of on-demand (interim) talent offerings help fill open roles and address project-based work with specialized talent. The firm’s consulting and advisory solutions focus on key issues like “culture fit,” strategic alignment, coaching, and sales optimization. Visit the company’s new website ZRGpartners.com.
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is changing the way companies hire and manage talent. ZRG’s data-driven approach to executive and professional search has been changing the way clients think about how to find top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvement to dramatically deliver executive searches quicker and with proven better results.
Today, with the help of private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG is among the fastest-growing firms in the search industry and provides a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
About RFE Investment Partners
Founded in 1979, RFE Investment Partners is a private equity investor with a long-standing small buyout heritage and a time-tested strategy for growing businesses. RFE equips companies with the capabilities and resources to scale by leveraging the extensive operational expertise, financial acumen, and broad business network of the RFE team. Through over 75 small buyout transactions, RFE has consistently guided portfolio companies through multiple business cycles while driving value creation. RFE invested in ZRG Partners in December 2018, providing the tools and guidance needed to expand the capabilities and product offerings of the company, as well as grow the business on an international scale.