June 10, 2024 – ZRG, a global talent advisory firm and portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners, has and its TurnkeyZRG sports, entertainment & media practice, named Troy de Haas as leader of ZRG’s sport & entertainment practice for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. “Troy de Haas built the region’s most successful sports recruitment practices, essentially from scratch, in a part of the world that did not extensively utilize executive search in sports,” said Len Perna, chair and CEO of TurnkeyZRG. “Troy joins us at a time when ZRG is the fastest growing search firm globally based on a data-driven, ‘Moneyball’ approach to identifying and evaluating candidates, which is very applicable in sports, which keeps score of everything.”
“Troy has worked with sports entities of the grandest scale, including the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games, Swimming Australia, Athletics Australia, Motorsport Australia, and throughout Rugby in Fiji, Hong Kong and Japan,” Mr. Perna said. “He will be a huge asset to our firm’s ambitions and bring a wealth of existing regional relationships, track-record, and insights.”
“Troy will also be instrumental in ZRG’s broader international growth in Australia and will be our first managing director in Asia,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “We are thrilled to have him join our firm as we set our sights on continued global growth.”
Mr. de Haas has over 10 years of experience working in a variety of roles in the sports world before founding TDH Sport & Entertainment agency in Hong Kong. He has successfully transitioned from on-field talent (athletes and teams) to off-field talent (the business of sport), where he was most recently partner and head of the APAC sport & entertainment practice at Odgers Berndtson. “As one of the region’s most trusted figures, an unparalleled network of industry relationships and deep understanding of complex APAC nuances has led to him supporting some of the most significant organizations, federations, leagues, clubs and teams with the leaders that shape them,” ZRG said.
Mr. de Haas’ previous executive positions also included director of sports at BMC in Switzerland and director of sales and marketing at Thanyapura Sports Resort in Thailand. As a former elite athlete, he represented Australia at the international level over 17 times in Mountain Running and Orienteering, where he made history as the first non-European to medal at a World Championship event.
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“Troy de Haas is a top sports executive recruiter here in Australia and APAC,” said Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open. “TurnkeyZRG and Troy will have an immediate impact in this market and the partnership reinforces the significant sports and entertainment growth in Australia and APAC.”
“The USA has long established the international standard in the sports and entertainment industry, renowned for its professionalism, innovation, and unparalleled commercialization,” said Mr. de Haas. “Thus, partnering with North America’s leader, TurnkeyZRG, to introduce its exclusive Zi digital platform and capabilities to this region will be a game changer for APAC, the world’s fastest-growing sports market.”
Serving the Sports, Music and Entertainment Sectors
TurnkeyZRG is a talent advisory and search firm serving the sports, music, and entertainment sectors 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.
ZRG, founded in 1999, is a mid-sized global executive search firm and one of the fastest growing in the search industry. It provides a full suite of executive, middle management, and customized search solutions through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The firm finds leaders across a broad spectrum of business markets, including aerospace, consumer, education, healthcare services, and solutions, industrial, life sciences, non-profit, private equity and venture capital, and technology. ZRG is based in Rochelle Park, NJ.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
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