vivenu appoints Nick Sakiewicz as Industry Advisor for Sports and Entertainment

Düsseldorf/New York, September 30, 2025 vivenu, the enterprise platform for live entertainment technology, announced the appointment of Nick Sakiewicz as Industry Advisor for Sports and Entertainment. Sakiewicz brings three decades of leadership across major leagues and venues and will advise vivenu on strategy, partnerships, and product direction for its fast-growing sports and entertainment verticals.

Sakiewicz is a builder and operator of sports organizations and live-entertainment venues. He was a founding executive at Major League Soccer in 1995, served as President and General Manager of two inaugural MLS teams, and later became an operating partner and investor in the Philadelphia Union. He has led venue development and operations for over 30 years, served as Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League, and spent three seasons in an executive leadership capacity in the NHL. Across these roles he has directly and indirectly sold tens of millions of tickets.

“Nick has been at the center of some of the most ambitious moments in modern sports,” said Simon Hennes, Co-Founder and CEO of vivenu. “He understands scale, he understands the operational reality inside a venue, and he knows what it takes to turn ticketing into a serious business lever. We could not be more excited to learn from his experience and to accelerate our roadmap for clubs, leagues, and rightsholders.”

As vivenu continues to scale globally and expand across multiple verticals, the perspective of a seasoned industry leader becomes especially critical. Sakiewicz will work closely with vivenu’s leadership and product teams to ensure the platform evolves in step with the complex needs of enterprise clients. His guidance will help vivenu sharpen its vertical strategies, ensuring that each market benefits from best-in-class product capabilities and operational insights.

“Innovative solutions in ticketing, fan engagement, and secondary market management are unlocking better ways to meet the growing needs of fans, facilities, and rights holders. vivenu’s next-generation technology platform is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 30+ years of operating facilities, selling tickets, and serving fans. Their private-label solution empowers venue managers, teams, leagues, tours, and properties of all kinds to put fans first while maintaining complete control of the ticketing experience. I’m thrilled to join founders Simon Hennes, Jens Teichert, and Simon Weber in bringing this innovation to the sports, entertainment, and live events industry.” said Nick Sakiewicz.

The appointment underscores vivenu’s momentum with leading brands in sports, entertainment, and live experiences. With Sakiewicz’s track record across league formation, team operations, and venue development, vivenu gains a trusted advisor whose expertise is directly aligned with its current stage of growth: scaling its product, deepening its vertical strategies, and cementing its role as the infrastructure layer for enterprise-grade ticketing.

About Nick Sakiewicz

Nick Sakiewicz is a sports executive and investor with over 30 years of experience building teams, leagues, and venues. He helped launch Major League Soccer as a founding executive, twice earned MLS Executive of the Year honors, and played a key role in the $100 million sale of the New York MetroStars to Red Bull, which included the development of Red Bull Arena. Sakiewicz later co-founded the Philadelphia Union, securing one of MLS’s most favorable stadium financing packages and leading the redevelopment of 200 acres along the Delaware River. He also held senior roles in the NHL and AEG, contributing to projects such as Newark’s Prudential Center and the LA Live entertainment district. Most recently, he served as Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League and Chief Business Officer of the Arizona Coyotes.