Alvarez & Marsal expands sports, media, and entertainment practice

Alvarez & Marsal, a New York-headquartered management consulting firm, has expanded its sports, media, and entertainment (SM&E) industry group – naming a new leader and adding three managing directors.

The expansion includes formally adding sports as a dedicated sector focus to the media and entertainment platform. The enlarged industry group will be led by managing director Jeff Shaffer, who will report to Nick Alvarez, national practice leader of private equity performance improvement (PEP).

Shaffer has 30 years of consulting experience, including 14 years with Alvarez & Marsal. A Los Angeles-based managing director in the PEPI group, Shaffer has extensive experience providing support in operational change, IT, and merger integration to SM&E clients. Prior to his tenure at Alvarez & Marsal, Shaffer worked in the advisory businesses of Crowe and KPMG.

“SM&E leaders are navigating the most compressed period of disruption the industry has seen in decades – from consolidation and the monetization reset in streaming to escalating rights economics, AI-driven operating model change, and intensifying pressure for margin expansion,” said Shaffer. “Sports, media, entertainment, and technology are converging faster than ever, and clients’ expectations for results have never been higher. Through one integrated team and platform, we are better positioned to help modernize operations, improve performance and accelerate growth.”

The SM&E practice expansion is underpinned by the hiring of three managing directors from Accenture’s strategy business line.

Greg Merchant brings 25+ years of experience in SM&E, with expertise across strategy, operating model transformation, AI enablement, and transaction advisory. Before this tenure at Accenture, he was a managing director at Monitor Deloitte.

Eddie Gonzales has more than 25 years of experience in SM&E, software, and digital platforms, with expertise in growth strategy, GTM transformation, modernization, and transaction-driven value creation. Before Accenture, he was chief strategy officer for Sprint Business IoT.

Gregory Jensen has more than 15 years of experience leading digital modernization, finance transformation, and merger integration initiatives for SM&E organizations. He most recently led Accenture’s West Coast media and entertainment practice of 450+ practitioners.

“With this expanded platform and the addition of Greg, Eddie, and Gregory, A&M is better positioned to help clients improve performance, accelerate value creation and deliver results in a sector where strategy and execution can no longer be separated. This is the right platform, with the right team, at the right time,” Nick Alvarez said.

The SM&E practice supports clients across leagues, teams, federations, rights holders, venues, live event businesses, studios, streaming platforms, broadcast networks, digital media companies, and technology-enabled entertainment businesses.

The practice’s offerings include: transformation and performance improvement; operating model design and organizational effectiveness; revenue strategy, monetization, and commercial acceleration; cost optimization and margin improvement; program management for complex initiatives; data, analytics, and performance management; and transaction-driven value creation and post-deal execution.