Management and Staff
Butch Buchholz, Jr.
Chairman & Co-Founder, Sony Ericsson Open
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First conceptualized by Buchholz while a touring pro over 30 years ago, the first Sony Ericsson Open was played in 1985 and since then the tournament has grown into the fifth largest tennis tournament in the world. Today, with $9.0 million in prize money and all the top players competing, the Sony Ericsson Open is surpassed in size and stature only by the four Grand Slams. As a 12-day event, the tournament drew 293,228 fans in 2009 - the second highest attendance - and features a permanent stadium, hailed as being among the best in the world.
Active in tennis since his youth, Buchholz played his first tournament at age six and won his initial title a year later. He became the first player to win junior titles at the Australian Open (1959) and French pen (1958), Wimbledon (1958) and the U.S. Junior Championships (1958). Ranked fifth in the world in 1960, Buchholz entered the professional ranks with Jack Kramer's worldwide circuit. A member of three U.S. Davis Cup teams from 1958-60, he won 22 professional tournament events and was one of Lamar Hunt's famous “Handsome Eight" of World Championship Tennis (WCT). He retired at the age of 29 after injury ended his 10-year professional career, but the same spirit that drove him as an intense competitor inspired him to develop and grow in the business of tennis. His credentials include tournament promoter, network television commentator, owner/operator of tennis clubs, and U.S. Junior Davis Cup Tennis Team captain in 1970.
A founding member of the first men's players association in 1963, Buchholz has served tennis in many capacities. He directed tournaments in his hometown of St. Louis from 1964- 1968, directed WCT events from 1969-78, directed a Virginia Slims event in 1972, was Commissioner of World Team Tennis from 1977-78, served as Executive Director of the ATP and was a member of the men's pro council - the governing body of men's pro tennis - from 1981- 83.
Butch expanded his realm in the tennis world in 1997 by acquiring the Pilot Pen International Championships at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale in New Haven, Conn., a combined ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event held annually in August.
Butch added another element to the mix in 1998 when he agreed to take over the management of the prestigious 50-year-old Orange Bowl International Tennis Tournament. He secured title and presenting sponsors and rescued a junior tennis tradition from extinction. In 2000, Buchholz created an ATP International Series event played in Buenos Aires in February.
In 1992, Buchholz and the late Arthur Ashe, then tennis director at Miami's Doral Hotel, were reminiscing about how tennis programs in their hometown parks had shaped their lives. They were inspired to form the "Good Life Mentoring Program" in partnership with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, providing valuable life skills for elementary and middle school students. Moore Park Tennis Center in Miami became one of the venues where hundreds of youngsters would benefit from this program.
When Buchholz saw that Moore Park's 50-year-old Tennis Center needed extensive renovation and reconstruction, he was determined to play a role in its redevelopment. He had previously been successful in forging a public-private partnership to develop the Tennis Center at Crandon Park and knew that it could work for Moore Park. Following discussions with Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Buchholz moved forward, and on March 24, 2001, the Ashe-Buchholz Tennis Center at Moore Park was dedicated.
Buchholz remains Chairman of First Serve Inc., a concept that began in conjunction with the USTA in 2001 as a way to give back to tennis by using the sport as a positive influence on our nation’s youth. First Serve is a youth empowerment organization that utilizes tennis to help kids develop the skills, values, and experience they need to be responsible, productive and successful in life. The program utilizes public tennis facilities as a venue for teaching a broad range of age appropriate life skills.
Buchholz, a product of public parks in St. Louis (his father was a public park tennis instructor), has stepped up his personal involvement with the First Serve effort. Butch’s son Trey Buchholz was recently named Executive Director with a charge to broaden the reach and resources of First Serve throughout the entire tennis community, both locally and nationally.
Buchholz lives in Coral Gables, Fla., and is active in civic and charity organizations throughout South Florida. He and his wife Marilyn have three children: Kathy, Trey and Kristen; and five grandchildren: Brittany, Brooke and Jack Gentile and Hayley and William Buchholz.
Adam Barrett
Sony Ericsson Open Tournament
Director
Executive Vice President, IMG
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Each spring at the Sony Ericsson Open, which was named Tournament of the Year by the ATP in 2009, ninth of the last 11 years and by both the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2004, Barrett oversees a staff of almost 3,000 people. He stays personally involved in all aspects of the event interacting on a year-round basis with volunteers, sponsors, players and fans.
Barrett began his career at PriceWaterhouseCoppers in 1986 and moved to IMG in 1991 where he quickly rose in the ranks to Vice President of Finance before taking on the Executive Vice President duties in 1997. He was promoted again in 2002 to Tournament Director/Executive Vice President.
Barrett developed an accounting, ticketing, and other business operating systems currently used by IMG tennis events which is also used as a model for other events around the world.
Actively involved in the inner-workings of tennis, Barrett is a member of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tournament Council and has served as a past board member of the Sony Ericsson WTA Board. He is also a very active member of Tennis Properties Limited (TPL)/ATP Media where he is a member of the finance committee, as well as various organizations that promote the sport globally.
Perhaps it is “The Championship Way” where Barrett has made his greatest mark. This concept is the tournament’s guest service program that is the vehicle for fulfilling the events mission of meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of tournament guests. The program evolved over the last fifteen years in an effort to provide the most outstanding experience for all guests. Members of the Sony Ericsson Open team both staff and volunteers, work collectively toward providing that experience with training ongoing throughout the year.
Born and raised in Miami, Barrett graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Florida. He enjoys Gator football and is an avid sports fan. He resides in Weston, Florida, with his wife Rachel and their three children, Matthew, Zoey, and Chase.
Sony Ericsson Open Staff
The Sony Ericsson Open employs almost 3,000 people every March who help make the 12-day international tennis festival run smoothly. The full-time staff members work year-round to put on what has become the fifth-largest tennis tournament in the world.
| Name | Title |
| *Acosta-Rubio, Estefania | Marketing Coordinator |
| Adler, Marc | Ballperson Manager |
| *Annear, Tom | Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales |
| Barrett, Adam | Executive Vice President & Tournament Director |
| Bednar, Karin | Merchandise Manager |
| Buchholz, Butch | Tournament Chairman |
| Cashman, Donna | Food & Beverage Consultant |
| *Castellanos, Jacqueline | Receptionist |
| *Elkin, Wendy | Senior Vice President of Marketing & Television |
| *Foster, Mikel | Sponsor Services Coordinator |
| *Garcia, Charles | Box Office Manager |
| *Habbershaw, Simon | Sponsor Services Manager |
| *Hall, Kim | Director of Travel & Player Services |
| *Harris, Josh | Box Office Manager |
| *Henderson, Sam | Director of Media & Public Relations |
| *Ignatz, Mona | Sponsor Sales Account Executive |
| *Knight, Tom | Corporate Sales & Competition Manager |
| *Koch, Lisa | Director of Tournament Operations |
| *Koch, Brett | Director of Ticket Operations |
| Kramer, Gary | Security Manager |
| *Kremer, Lori | Sponsor Sales Account Executive |
| *Miller, Justin | Facilities Manager |
| *Morceau-Pendleton, Tracy | Director of Finance & Human Resources |
| Murray, Margaret | Player and Travel Services Manager |
| *Perez, Amanda | Box Office Manager |
| *Pierce, Bill | Vice President of Tournament Services |
| Reynolds, Jackie | Receptionist |
| *Sandigo, Christian | Finance Manager |
| Sergi, John | Food & Beverage Consultant |
| *Stock, Catherine | Vice President of Facilities |
| Thomas, Kenrick | Transportation Manager |
| Thompson, Diane | Volunteer Manager |
| Vasquez, Alex | Shuttles Manager |
| *Woodcock-Potter, Dagny | Senior Vice President of Sales & Sponsor Services |
* - indicates 12-month staff
| Key phone numbers | |
| Main Switchboard | 305-446-2200 |
| Tickets | 305-442-3367 |
| Travel | 800-725-5472 |
| Main Fax | 305-446-9080 |
| Key Email Addresses | |
| Ticket information | tickets@imgworld.com |
| Sponsorship and Sales inquiries | sales@sonyericssonopen.com |
| Vacation and hotel information | travel@imgworld.com |
| Media inquiries | media@sonyericssonopen.com |
| Volunteer information | volunteers@sonyericssonopen.com |
| All other inquiries | help@sonyericssonopen.com |
To see available part-time positions, click here
