Brendan Ross, who was named CEO of Razorgator almost two years ago, is leaving the secondary ticket company at the end of the year, TicketNews has learned. He will be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer Nima Moayedi, effective January 1.
The shakeup comes as Razorgator, which is no longer in the top 10 of the nation’s leading secondary ticket companies, continues to transition from its former business model of owning ticket inventory to becoming a secondary ticket exchange.
During his tenure, Ross instituted a few rounds of layoffs, and also oversaw the company’s emergence from several difficult occurrences, such as losses following this summer’s World Cup and last winter’s Vancouver Olympics.
Ross was the company’s third CEO in as many years, and in addition to the above changes, the company also closed offices and spun off its PrimeSport division back under the control of long-time ticketing veteran Sam Soni.
When reached today, December 22, Ross, a 10-year ticketing veteran, did not disc lose where he was headed, but he did not rule out the possibility of staying in the industry. He has a background in finance, and he worked for several years at Ticketmaster where he led the team that developed Ticketmaster’s TicketExchange.
“Starting in July, we initiated a series of changes at Razorgator that have successfully transformed us into a broker-neutral Exchange platform,” Ross told TicketNews in a statement. “[Nima’s] leadership during this critical time has allowed Razorgator to turn the corner and emerge as a profitable, cash-flow positive company. I’m really pleased to see him take on this exciting role at a time when the new Razorgator has so much potential for growth.”
Moayedi, who joined the company in 2006, said he was excited for the new opportunity. He has already begun calling brokers and other ticketing professionals to introduce himself.
“My commitment to our broker partners, our employees and our customers has never been stronger,” he said. “This is a hard business in which a newcomer succeeds by getting up to speed quickly. Fortunately, when I started in 2006 I had the opportunity to work with our very talented broker team, including Jackie Martinoski, Mark Bassett, Anna Chan, and Pakshi Desigar. This team, together with many others that have worked with me over the past 5 years, is what will enable Razorgator’s continued success.”
Razorgator founder and Board member Stephen Cucci said he is pleased with Moayedi’s promotion.
“Nima has been here, running operations through a number of promotions, since 2006. During this time, Nima has been a major advocate for our broker partners and our customers. Under his leadership, and with his focus on the exchange, Nima has made Razorgator a better partner to brokers, and a better place for consumers to buy tickets. I’m looking forward to working with Nima in 2011 and beyond,” Cucci said.
