Delaware North Announces Key Leadership Change

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Nov 05, 2015, 07:16 ET

BUFFALO, N.Y., Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, today announced a leadership change for Delaware North Sportservice, its flagship operating company, and for its operations in the United Kingdom.

John Wentzell, who had held the role of president of Delaware North Sportservice and oversight of the company's United Kingdom operations, has left the company.

The change, announced by Rick Abramson, Delaware North executive vice president and chief operating officer, takes effect today.

"On behalf of Delaware North and the Jacobs family, I want to thank John for leading Delaware North Sportservice since 2013 and helping us to continue to add new clients, most notably the Atlanta Braves this year as our 11th Major League Baseball client," Abramson said. "John also helped us grow our sports and travel hospitality businesses in the United Kingdom."

Delaware North will immediately launch an international search for a new president of Sportservice and leader of its UK operations, Abramson said. In the interim, Carlos Bernal, chief operating officer of Sportservice, will oversee its operations. In the United Kingdom, Doug Tetley, Delaware North's managing director, will continue in that role, reporting to Abramson.

Wentzell joined Delaware North in 1996 as vice president of operations for the Delaware North-owned-and-operated arena in Boston – now known as TD Garden and home of the NHL's Boston Bruins, owned by Delaware North chairman Jeremy Jacobs, and NBA's Boston Celtics. He became president of the company's Boston operations in 2006, including the arena, commercial real estate development activities and certain sales and business functions of the Boston Bruins.

In 2011, Wentzell added oversight of Delaware North's diverse international business portfolio to his duties, including its operations in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and includes its sports stadia, airport and luxury resort hotel operations. In 2013 he became president of Delaware North Sportservice and retained leadership of the company's United Kingdom operations.

About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 60,000 employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than a half-billion guests annually. Delaware North operates in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries and has annual revenue of about $3 billion. "Delaware North" is a reference to Delaware North Companies Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries, including location-specific operating entities. Learn more about Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, at www.DelawareNorth.com.

SOURCE Delaware North