Valensi joins from Grand Slam Tennis, where, as Chief Executive Officer, he managed the partnership between the Grand Slams, overseeing strategic collaboration across the sport’s most iconic tournaments — the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
During his tenure, he helped elevate Grand Slam Tennis’s global footprint, enhancing fan-centric storytelling, and unlocking new value for rights holders and partners. This included leading negotiations between the four Grand Slams, ATP and WTA Tours with Netflix for the groundbreaking Break Point documentary series – the first significant commercial project across the Grand Slams, ATP and WTA Tours. He also led the development of a unified governance framework, spearheaded cross-tournament commercial initiatives, and laid the groundwork for a shared digital and media strategy.
Prior to this, Valensi led the Sportfive agency, where he oversaw a successful turnaround and its sale to private equity. His experience managing global sports organisations and driving strategic transformation will be central to Volleyball World’s next phase of growth.
Valensi will start in his role just after the Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Nations League Finals and shortly before the Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Thailand (August 22 – September 7) and Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines (September 12-28) – the first time both championships have been held in Asia. The Beach Volleyball World Championships will take place in Adelaide, Australia, in November.
As Volleyball World looks to elevate the sport’s global appeal up to and beyond the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Valensi’s leadership will play a key role in expanding its reach and deepening fan engagement.
Ugo Valensi, incoming Chief Executive Officer of Volleyball World, said: “I’m honoured to join Volleyball World at such an exciting moment in its journey. Since its launch in 2021, the organisation has redefined what’s possible for professional volleyball — blending sporting excellence with global entertainment appeal. With 800 million people engaging with volleyball worldwide, there is immense untapped potential. I look forward to working with Michael Payne, the team at Volleyball World, the FIVB, CVC Capital Partners and all our partners to expand our reach, deepen fan connections, and unlock the next wave of growth for this extraordinary sport.”
Michael Payne, Chair of Volleyball World said: “We are very lucky to have secured Ugo as our new CEO. He brings a wealth of expertise in the sports business, from both the rights holder and agency side. Through his time at Grand Slam Tennis and as CEO of Sportfive, he has shown his undoubted commercial acumen. Having listened to him outline his vision for Volleyball World, I look forward to working with him at this exciting time for the organization and the sport of volleyball.”
Fabio Azevedo, President of FIVB said: “We are very excited to welcome Ugo Valensi to Volleyball World and the Global Volleyball Movement. His impressive leadership experience in the international sports industry make him the perfect person to lead Volleyball World in this next chapter. We are confident that Ugo, together with the strong team of professionals at Volleyball World and the FIVB, will help us take volleyball to new heights.”
