Ticketmaster Sport appoints François Westcombe as Managing Director for EMEA
%5B32%5D.png)
Key Takeaways
François Westcombe becomes Ticketmaster Sport’s Managing Director for EMEA.
He brings more than 11 years of sports and digital-growth experience, most recently at IMG, with work across FIFA, UEFA, the NFL and the IOC.
The appointment follows strong growth in EMEA, including new international partnerships and 100+ clients across 15 sports.
Ticketmaster Sport has appointed François Westcombe as Managing Director for EMEA, effective 7 October. Westcombe succeeds Chris Gratton, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities.
François Westcombe joins from IMG, where he served as Vice President, Corporate Development, Digital, and helped drive the growth and international expansion of its global digital business.
Over more than 11 years across Seven League, Mailman and IMG, he has worked directly with many of the world's leading sports organisations, including FIFA, UEFA, Bundesliga, The R&A, Six Nations, MLB, NFL, FIBA, Concacaf and the IOC, as well as dozens of sports teams.
François joins Ticketmaster Sport following one of its strongest years to date, including work with the Commonwealth Games 2026 and new partnerships for FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, Dubai Racing, Dutch Football club Go Ahead Eagles and the Arabian Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27). The latter will also mark Ticketmaster’s first SafeTix rollout in the Gulf.
More than 100 clients across 15 sports now work with Ticketmaster Sport, spanning grassroots clubs to major organisations such as the NFL, the Premier League and the RFL Championship.
Andrew Parsons, Regional Vice President, Ticketmaster EMEA: “Sport is one of the clearest growth stories in our EMEA business, and François brings exactly the perspective we need for the next phase. Chris has built Ticketmaster Sport into a business that clients actively seek out, and we’re looking forward to building on that momentum as François takes the business forward.”
François Westcombe, incoming Managing Director, Ticketmaster Sport EMEA: “Ticketing is evolving rapidly. It is no longer just about selling tickets or providing a platform. It increasingly sits at the heart of the relationship between sports organisations and their fans, connecting audience data and insight with the wider technology ecosystem, and helping build trust, loyalty and more seamless fan experiences.
“Ticketmaster Sport has an enviable portfolio of partners and a strong platform to build from. I’m looking forward to working with the team to accelerate the next phase of growth across EMEA.”