LIV Golf reveals new Chief Operating Officer ahead of 2024 season
LIV Golf names Lawrence J. Burian as its new Chief Operating Officer.
LIV Golf has confirmed Lawrence J. Burian has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) after a competitive international recruiting process.
The news was confirmed by LIV Golf just hours after Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC were crowned LIV Golf Team Champions for 2023 in Miami.
Related: PGA Tour star "told Saudis to stick their $130m offer" to join LIV Golf
Related: LIV Golf players left stunned as Presidents Cup now denies them entry in 2024!
LIV Golf's former COO Atul Khosla walked out of the Saudi-backed circuit ahead of the 2023 season.
Gary Davidson then assumed the role of Acting COO for the remainder of the year.
@Crushers_GC start their celebrations!#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/npj9DRCz8s
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) October 22, 2023
As LIV Golf's new COO ahead of their third full season in 2024, Mr. Burian will oversee a wide range of responsibilities including, corporate development and strategy, as well as the successful delivery of LIV Golf’s global schedule of 14 LIV Golf League events.
Mr Burian will also be in charge of management and commercialization of the league’s teams, the full integration of the International Series, investor relations, global impact and sustainability, events, production, information technology, human resources, procurement, and general day-to-day business operations.
Related: Ryder Cup legend reveals exactly how long LIV Golf has got left (!)
As a former Executive Vice President with the Madison Square Garden family of public companies, Mr. Burian has extensive experience across the sports, entertainment, media and hospitality sectors. During his more than a decade of simultaneous service to MSG Sports Corporation (NYSE: MSGS), MSG Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: MSGE) and MSG Networks, Inc. (formerly NYSE: MSGN), Mr. Burian worked closely with each company’s Board of Directors and executive management teams to lead significant corporate and strategic transactions and initiatives that strengthened the group’s portfolio of businesses and built long-term shareholder value.
A selection of MSG companies included the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL) franchises, two MSG regional sports networks (with telecast rights to 7 professional sports franchises), the famed MSG arena and other high-profile entertainment venues, the Radio City Rockettes and Christmas Spectacular, the Tao Group Hospitality family of restaurant and nightlife brands, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Boston Calling music festival and CLG (e-sports).
Mr. Burian served in multiple executive roles across the portfolio of assets, including as head of Corporate Development, General Counsel and as a member of the board of directors of multiple strategic joint ventures.
“Lawrence is a proven leader and a proven winner, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him on our executive leadership team,” said LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman.
“After more than two years of breaking molds and pushing boundaries, LIV Golf is on the precipice of significant growth. Lawrence’s decades of business experience are exactly what we need to keep us competitive and moving forward.”
Before joining MSG, Mr. Burian worked for a decade at Cablevision Systems Corporation (formerly NYSE: CVC), the former cable, media, sports and entertainment parent company of the MSG businesses. There Mr. Burian played an instrumental role in many of the company’s strategic transactions and initiatives, including the spin-off of The Madison Square Garden Company, the acquisitions of the Sundance Channel and the Newsday Media Group, and the sales of the Fox Sports New England and Fox Sports Bay Area regional sports networks and the Bravo television network.
“I am excited to join LIV Golf as Chief Operating Officer and look forward to harnessing my more than two decades of senior executive experience to help build on the progress and momentum that is well underway,” said Mr. Burian.
“The creation of a new global sports league in less than two years was nothing short of extraordinary and now is the time to capitalize and build on that success. LIV Golf has a very bright future as we seek to continue growing the game of golf, engaging new audiences, enhancing the guest experience, innovating our event and media production and building franchise value, all while creating a compelling home for our world-class athletes. I’m committed to working with my talented colleagues at LIV Golf towards achieving our ambitious goals.”
“Adding Lawrence to the LIV executive team is the clearest indication of the next phase of this league’s growth and future aspirations,” said LIV Golf Acting COO Gary Davidson.
“Lawrence is an excellent addition to the Senior Management team and brings a wealth of experience which will be invaluable as we enter the exciting next phase of the business. We are thrilled to have him on the team and I’m excited to continue supporting him and LIV Golf into 2024.”
Prior to Cablevision, Mr. Burian was an Associate with the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell, specializing in mergers and acquisitions in both their New York and London offices.
Mr. Burian holds a doctorate of juris prudence from the Yale Law School and received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Yeshiva University in New York, where he graduated summa cum laude. Mr. Burian is an active leader in numerous not-for-profit organizations.
