Two WTA executives and one long time staffer will no longer be with the organization in 2014.
WTA Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Walker, whom former WTA CEO Larry Scott brought over with him from the ATP and who headed up the communications department before taking over the marketing department, will exit at the end of December.
Walker has been with the organization for 10 years . Based in London with his wife and two young children, he’s hoping to stay in the sports industry, possibly in tennis. Sources say that WTA CEO Stacy Allaster bought out his contract earlier this year and that he sensed she wanted to bring in her own group. However, his position will not be filled in the near future, at least until the WTA can bring in a new sponsor.
WTA head of communications Chris Wallace was let go by the organization just before Thanksgiving after a dispute.
Allaster is unlikely to promote from within the communications department, as none of the current staff have enough experience yet to be bumped up to such a high profile position. A search is already underway for his replacement.
The WTA communications department is also said to have recently parted ways with longtime staffer Vani Vosburgh, who not only helped with media relations, but produced a lot of the daily notes as well as working on the WTA guidebook. The tour brought in an outside firm to help produce the notes and guidebook during the fall.
The WTA did add a new member to the staff during the fall, hiring former collegiate player Estelle LaPorte, who is a close friend of Maria Sharapova’s.
Topics: 10sballs, Maria Sharapova, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta