Yahoo News UTA Taps Bob Roback as Chief Operating Officer, as Former COO Andrew Thau Focuses on Sports
UTA named Bob Roback, a veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur and executive, its new chief operating officer.
In joining the firm, Roback will also be a partner and join UTA’s board of directors. Roback takes over the COO role from Andrew Thau, who will continue as co-head of UTA Sports. On Monday, Thau and Rich Paul, UTA Sports co-head and KLUTCH Sports founder, announced UTA’s acquisition of ROOF, a leading football agency representing top soccer players in Europe and beyond.
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Roback will report to UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and president David Kramer. As COO, his responsibilities include overall business operations and overseeing growth, strategy and technology, with a focus on efficiency and innovation, the company said.
Roback’s career spans content, digital consumer services and consumer products, as well as business-to-business platforms and marketplaces. Most recently, he spent seven years as CEO of Ingrooves Music Group, a tech-led music and marketing business acquired by Universal Music Group in 2019. Prior to that, Roback served as president and a member of the board of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. He also co-founded several companies, including Dashbox, The Media Farm and Launch Media, which became Yahoo Music.
Zimmer, in announcing Roback’s hire, said, “Throughout his accomplished career, Bob has built and led multiple businesses at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and he will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace.”
Zimmer added, “I want to acknowledge the many contributions of Andrew Thau, who served as our COO since 2007 and became co-head of UTA Sports last year. I’m excited for what Andrew will accomplish as he focuses full-time on building out our sports presence in the global arena.”
UTA president David Kramer commented: “Bob’s experience and approach make him an ideal fit in UTA’s entrepreneurial and future-focused culture. Artists, athletes and brands are looking to participate globally across every part of the entertainment landscape, and Bob will help ensure we continue to operate at a level that exemplifies best-in-class representation.”
Roback said in a statement, “I’ve long admired UTA’s dedication to its clients and ability to lead the way in defining what it means to be a global agency during a time of tremendous change and opportunity. I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this exciting time and look forward to shaping the future with UTA’s talented and ambitious team.”
Over the years, UTA has diversified through internal investments, acquisitions and strategic partnerships that have included KLUTCH Sports Group, MediaLink and U.K.-based Curtis Brown Group.
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