Photo for Headline Surfer® / ORLANDO, Fla.-- The NBA's Orlando Magic have promoted Charles Freeman, who is entering his 20th season with the team, to chief operating officer, CEO Alex Martins announced today.
Martins also announced the promotion of Michael Forde to executive vice president of sales and Anthony Perez to executive vice president of strategy.
Freeman's responsibilities include management and oversight of ticket sales, services and operations; premium sales, client services, corporate partnerships, marketing, arena operations and retail.
Freeman was previously promoted to chief revenue officer in July 2012.
“Charlie has provided great strategic leadership and vision to the Orlando Magic and we look forward to his continued expertise in regard to the business operation of our organization,” Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins said in a prepared statement to HeadlineSurfer.com and other Central Florida media outlets.
Martens added of Freeman, “From overseeing the design, construction and development of the Amway Center for the Magic to implementing business initiatives, his experience and expertise will continue to be keys for the Magic in our quest to be world champions on and off the court.”
Alex Martens, chief executive officer of the Orlando Magic, comments on the promotion Friday of Charles Freeman to team COO.
“Charlie has provided great strategic leadership and vision to the Orlando Magic and we look forward to his continued expertise in regard to the business operation of our organization,” Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins said in a prepared statement to HeadlineSurfer.com and other Central Florida media outlets.
Martens added of Freeman, “From overseeing the design, construction and development of the Amway Center for the Magic to implementing business initiatives, his experience and expertise will continue to be keys for the Magic in our quest to be world champions on and off the court.”
Forde is entering his 12th season with the Magic and is responsible for establishing strategies targeted to bring new ticket buyers, as well as corporate partners to the organization.
Forde is instrumental in identifying new revenue streams that provide the organization an opportunity to grow relationships with corporate clients and develop ways for partners to engage with fans.
Perez originally joined the Magic in August 2004, working on the team’s arena development efforts. Subsequently he spent a year working in investment banking for Goldman Sachs before returning to the Magic in June 2008. Perez is responsible for digital strategy, business intelligence and customer insights.
Perez has been a featured speaker on the topic of analytics and business intelligence, having spoken at the SAS Global Forum. He was also named to Information Management’s “Top 25 Information Managers” list in 2012.
Charlie Freeman's origins with the Magic
Freeman started with the Magic in 1996, as a market research analyst for corporate partnerships and broadcast sales.
In 1997, Freeman was promoted to business manager of sales and was in charge of developing and implementing new business strategies for the sales division.
In 2001, he was promoted to director of business development and focused on new business ventures for the DeVos family, while in 2005 he was elevated to vice president of business development.
Freeman was named senior vice president in August of 2007, and helped oversee the team’s efforts for approval and subsequent development of the Amway Center.
Freeman graduated from Rollins College with a bachelors; majoring in economics and minoring in business administration. He resides in Maitland, Fla., with his wife, Pam, and ttheir wo children.
Did You Know?
For his accomplishments, The Orlando Magic's Charles Freeman was selected to the SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40, a recognition that spotlights the nation’s top young sports executives.
FAST FACTS: Orlando Magic:
Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 25 years more than $19.8 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations through the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and the Orlando Magic Youth Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund (OMYF-MFF) since 1994, which serves at-risk youth.