Ankura Announces Global Sports Advisory Practice and Appointment of Industry Expert, Jonny Gray

Strategic Expert Bolsters Ankura’s Multidisciplinary Global Sports Advisory Offering

Ankura Consulting, LLC (“Ankura”), a leading global expert services and advisory firm, today announced the formal launch of its global Sports Advisory practice and the addition of a senior figure from sport, Jonny Gray, as a Senior Managing Director and a key member of its Sports Advisory business. Most recently, Jonny Gray was the founding CEO of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The Sports Advisory practice assists sporting bodies, hosts, organizers of major events, investors and other stakeholders globally to reduce, manage, and mitigate political, reputational, and financial risks driven by increasing societal expectations and a drive to professionalize sport in the wake of external investment.

Ankura’s Sports Advisory practice provides a full range of services including compliance and investigations, construction, data and technology to accelerate transformation, forensic accounting and due diligence for deals and disputes, dispute resolution, good governance of integrity risk plus cyber and data privacy risk management.

Jonny Gray will be an important part of driving further growth in these areas. Prior to his engagement at ITIA, Jonny Gray was the Global Head of Sport and Major Events for a specialist risk consultancy where he had a 15-year career, working both in the UK and U.S.  He has extensive experience working with major leagues, investors, sponsors, international federations, governing bodies, broadcasters and organizing committees across a range of risk and integrity matters from complex investigations to contingency planning and crisis management.

Kevin Lavin, Ankura’s Chief Executive Officer, said “The sports sector is fast moving and rapidly maturing, and Ankura is harnessing its highly specialized experience across teams of cross-functional experts to serve clients in this industry. Jonny is a talented, recognized, and respected leader in the sports sector, and we are excited to have him join the Ankura team, working globally to enhance and develop the services and support we provide to our clients.”

Jonny Gray, said, “I am thrilled to be joining Ankura after the last few years implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of Integrity in Tennis, including establishing and being the first CEO of the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Ankura is a rapidly growing and ambitious firm that has a wide range of services that are of increasing demand to the quickly evolving sports sector, its investors, and stakeholders.”

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