Paciolan, the ticketing company handling a large share of the NCAA Athletics market, has a new leader. Deana Barnes has been named President of Paciolan, replacing Kim Damron, who departs the ticketing company for the newly created Sports Properties division at parent company Learfield.
Barnes is a 20-year veteran at Paciolan, having most recently served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer since being promoted to that role just over a year ago.
“Deana is an authentic leader and an inspirational executive who has helped Paciolan and our client community to achieve incredible results,” Damron said in a news release announcing Barnes’ promotion to that role in May of 2022. “Her leadership and ability to realize success is matched only by her passion for live sports and entertainment.”
Damron had served as President at Paciolan for more than six years, a time period where the company was sold by former owner Spectra to Learfield, and more recently made waves by switching its secondary ticketing partner from StubHub to SeatGeek. In her new role, Damron will continue to influence the ticketing business she leaves in Barnes’ hands as a member of the overall Learfield leadership team, reporting directly to Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan.
“As we look to the future of our industry, Kim will help us think creatively and boldly about the opportunities we should deliver to our university and brand partners,” said Gahagan. “Kim has a track record of building win-win partnerships with schools, and her leadership, business acumen and expertise in digital-first solutions position her to guide our efforts to college sports to the next-level. Her proven ability to create and adapt to evolving fan experiences makes her the perfect leader for this role.”
Within the new division, Damron will oversee LEARFIELD’s industry-leading multimedia rights business, encompassing both national and local sales, as well as other key athletic services, including the company’s Amplify ticket sales, Amplify seat sales, broadcast operations, and naming rights.
