New LEN Office structure unveiled – Patrice Coste is new LEN Executive Director

 

The LEN Congress meeting at the Sirene Hotel, Belek in Antalya, Turkiye, was presented with a new LEN Office structure which was approved on 21 October 2022 by the LEN Bureau.

Patrice Coste is the new LEN Executive Director. Patrice Coste is an experienced Sports business industry professional with a proven history of broadcasting, project, and event management.

After starting his career in Sports broadcasting, working on major different Sports events, Patrice joined UEFA in 2012 to be involved in the commercial implementation of broadcast and sponsorship operations in both Club and National Team Competitions and tournaments. Patrice graduated from the Executive Master in Sports Governance (MESGO) in 2018. He will begin working on 1 December.

Gianni Minervini starts a new role as Deputy Executive Director with new Sport Directors covering Aquatics and Water Polo reporting to him.

Apostolos Tsagkarakis, from Greece, will be the Sport Director responsible for Aquatics disciplines (excluding Water Polo). He is an experienced sport business industry professional with demonstrated history in event organization, sport marketing and management.

Apostolos worked at the International Swimming League and is an expert in aquatics, having worked with all levels of athletes and governing bodies. He will begin working with LEN on 1 November.

Heading up the new Water Polo division will be Renato Zivkovic, from Croatia. Renato was the head of the organising committee of the highly successful European Water Polo championships in Split as well as General Secretary of the Croatian Water Polo federation.

He has experience in all aspects of the sport, from player, coach, national and international event organiser and has also held roles in ethics and anti-doping within Croatian sport. One additional staff member in the Water Polo division will be announced shortly. Renato takes up his position on 1 November.

It was also announced that, in addition to the recently appointed media and communications team headed by Nick Davies, LEN will set up two more specialist units to handle Marketing and Sponsorship.

Introducing the changes, LEN treasurer Tomas Kucinskas said:

“The LEN Office has been hampered by a lack of human resources so, following an extensive international search, we have identified highly experienced, talented individuals and agencies to help LEN to achieve its strategic objectives.”

It was also announced that by mutual consent, it has been agreed that Marco Birri, LEN’s Operational Manager, would be leaving the organisation with immediate effect.

Marco Birri spent 17 years with LEN, starting out as Sport Manager for Water Polo, serving as Interim Executive Director before taking the role as Operations Manager.

LEN President Antonio Silva said:

“I would like to thank Marco for his long and dedicated service with LEN. His passion and dedication to European aquatics were always in evidence and, on behalf of LEN, I would like to wish him good luck with his future endeavours.”