MAJOR LEAGUE PICKLEBALL has announced two new members of the league’s executive leadership team, Chief Executive Officer Julio DePietro and Chief Operating Officer Bruce Popko. They will leverage their experience in finance, media, and sports business to grow new revenue streams, help MLP appeal to new audiences, and shepherd the sport into a new era, a media release said.
“The additions of Julio and Bruce signify another landmark step forward in the evolution of Major League Pickleball,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuhn. “They both bring an incredible pedigree, leadership ability, and valued perspective to MLP and the sport of pickleball. I know that their collective insights and experience will help us rapidly accelerate MLP’s continued growth and the overall popularization of the sport.”
DePietro has already had a material impact on Major League Pickleball as a part owner of the Florida Smash, where he lobbied for – and ultimately introduced – a geographic connection for his team, a concept that has since been adopted league-wide and gives MLP untold possibilities to grow fandoms in those local markets around the country.
Popko brings over 30 years of experience working in the sports industry and several core competencies that will be invaluable to MLP in the near and long term, including revenue generation, merchandise and licensing, media rights, and marketing integration. He will also strategize with the league’s 24 franchises to establish best practices and additional business development at the team level.
A seasoned senior executive, he was most recently the COO for both the Buffalo Bills and Sabres with Pegula Sports & Entertainment. In his time with Buffalo, he was also Executive Vice President, Business Development and Chief Revenue Officer.
Previous to Buffalo, Bruce worked with the powerhouse agency IMG, where he was a Senior Vice President following a role as Director of Sales & Business Development for IMG Golf.
