News Summary
- MotoGP has appointed four executives from major international sports and entertainment organisations.
- The new leadership covers commercial operations, media, race promotion and corporate strategy.
- The restructuring follows Carlos Ezpeleta’s promotion to Deputy CEO and forms part of MotoGP’s global expansion plan.
MotoGP has announced four senior executive appointments as the championship builds a new leadership structure designed to accelerate its international and commercial growth.
Ryan Norys will become Chief Commercial Officer, Sameer Pabari has been appointed Chief Media Officer, Louise Young will join as Chief Operating Officer and Denitza Batchvarova has taken over as Chief Strategy Officer.
The appointments bring experience from Formula 1, the NFL, UFC, WWE, Warner Bros. Discovery and major European football clubs into the company that controls the commercial rights to the MotoGP World Championship.
| Executive | New MotoGP role | Previous experience |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Norys | Chief Commercial Officer | Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma, Manchester City, Miami Dolphins |
| Sameer Pabari | Chief Media Officer | NFL, Warner Bros. Discovery, Manchester United |
| Louise Young | Chief Operating Officer | Formula 1 Chief Race Promotion Officer |
| Denitza Batchvarova | Chief Strategy Officer | UFC, TKO Group Holdings |
Norys joins from Tottenham Hotspur, where he has led the Premier League club’s commercial business since 2022 and currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer. He previously held senior positions with AS Roma, Manchester City and NFL franchise Miami Dolphins.
At MotoGP, Norys will oversee sponsorships, partnerships, licensing, hospitality, marketing and digital operations. His appointment indicates that attracting international consumer brands and increasing commercial revenue are central to the next phase of the championship’s development.
Pabari moves into a permanent position after previously advising MotoGP. He has spent approximately 20 years working across sport, media and technology, including senior roles with the NFL, Warner Bros. Discovery and Manchester United.
His responsibilities will include live television production, long-form programming, media distribution agreements and the commercial development of MotoGP’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. That portfolio places both broadcast rights and original content within the same global media strategy.
MotoGP hires senior F1 race promotion executive
Young arrives after more than eight years at Formula 1, where she initially worked in senior legal positions before taking responsibility for race promotion in July 2023. She became F1’s Chief Race Promotion Officer at the beginning of 2025.
As MotoGP’s Chief Operating Officer, Young will manage agreements with race promoters alongside the championship’s event, operational and environmental, social and governance functions.
Her appointment is particularly significant as MotoGP adjusts its calendar and moves into new markets. The series has already selected Rio de Janeiro to host its 2027 season launch and will leave Phillip Island for a new Australian event in Adelaide.
Batchvarova joined MotoGP earlier in September after working as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Finance at TKO Group Holdings, the company created through the combination of UFC and WWE. She previously led strategy for UFC and brings two decades of experience across sport, entertainment and finance.
Her role will involve defining MotoGP’s long-term corporate strategy and assessing growth opportunities across different markets and areas of the entertainment business.
Leadership structure takes shape under Liberty Media
The four appointments continue the restructuring that began with Carlos Ezpeleta’s promotion to Deputy CEO in August. Vince Russell was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May, while Enrique Aldama moved into the position of Chief Administrative Officer.
Carmelo Ezpeleta remains MotoGP’s CEO, with Carlos taking a larger role in the daily leadership and future direction of the championship.
“These appointments are an important step in building the team that will help shape MotoGP’s future,” Carlos said.
He added that the new executives would strengthen the championship’s commercial, media, operational and strategic capabilities while helping MotoGP reach new audiences and offer more opportunities to existing and prospective partners.
The recruitment strategy does not simply reproduce Formula 1’s management model. Instead, MotoGP has drawn executives from several industries, reflecting an ambition to develop the championship as an international entertainment property without reducing its identity to a motorcycle version of F1.
MotoGP returns from 2–4 October for the Japanese GP at Motegi, the 16th round of the 2026 season.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who leads the 2026 MotoGP championship?
Jorge Martín leads with 306 points, 12 ahead of Marc Márquez. Marco Bezzecchi is third with 264 points.
When is the next MotoGP race?
The Japanese GP is the next round, taking place at Mobility Resort Motegi from 2–4 October. Sunday’s MotoGP race starts at 06:00 UK.
Did Pedro Acosta win his first MotoGP race?
Yes. Acosta claimed his maiden MotoGP victory at the 2026 Austrian GP, beating Martín and Bezzecchi at KTM’s home circuit.
Who are MotoGP’s four new executives?
Ryan Norys, Sameer Pabari, Louise Young and Denitza Batchvarova have joined the championship’s senior management structure.
