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Draft:Andrew Nestor

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Andrew Nestor (born September 2, 1982) is an American businessman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bilkul Football Group, a global sports investment and operating company and the majority owner of English Football League club West Bromwich Albion.[1] He currently assumes the responsibilities of the Sporting Director role at West Brom. [2]

Nestor founded the Tampa Bay Rowdies[3] and served as a director at Bologna FC 1909 for two years, having spearheaded the takeover of the Italian club in October 2014. [4]

Early Life

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Nestor is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, with his family originating from Bogotá, Colombia. He graduated from the Boston University School of Management.[5]

Career

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After cutting his teeth in the finance industry in New York, Nestor set about building a career in sports, specifically football (soccer), which he had played growing up.[3]

In 2008, at the age of 25, he founded the only professional soccer club in Tampa Bay, Florida. Nestor and his partners later acquired the Tampa Bay Rowdies' trademarks and revived the iconic brand.[6] Nestor served as CEO, President and General Manager of the Rowdies, which included overseeing all coaching appointments and player recruitment. He also negotiated the club's move to Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2011.[3]

In only their third season in the NASL in 2012, the Rowdies won the league title under Nestor's stewardship.[7] Nestor stepped away from his role as CEO and General Manager in 2014, and he and his partners successfully exited with a sale of the club to the owners of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.[8]

Nestor was a key player in the takeover of Bologna FC 1909, assembling the investor group led by CF Montréal founder and owner Joey Saputo, which secured ownership of the then Serie B club in October 2014.[9] He oversaw an operational transition at the club across its commercial, financial and sporting departments, and was appointed to the Board of Directors for two years. Less than a year after the takeover, Bologna FC 1909 earned promotion back to Serie A.

Nestor has also acted as an advisor for several professional sports teams transactions across major Americas and European football.[10]

Nestor is Co-Founder of sports investment company Cerro Capital, a sports investment firm that invests globally in premium and emerging sports IP, established in 2020.[11]

In February 2024, Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai sold his majority shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Ltd to Bilkul Football WBA. Nestor serves as CEO of Bilkul Football alongside now WBA Chairman Shilen Patel, a Tampa native who he first met during his time at Tampa Bay Rowdies, Shilen's cousin Ashish Patel, who is a Co-Founder of Cerro Capital with Nestor, and Shilen Patel's father and esteemed businessman and philanthropist Dr Kiran C Patel.[12][1]

On 15 August 2024, West Bromwich Albion announced that Nestor would be assuming its Sporting Director duties, offering support across its existing football hierarchy.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Madeley, Steve. "Shilen Patel's journey from Tampa to West Brom – fuelled by France '98 World Cup". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ "Bilkul CEO Andrew Nestor assumes Sporting Director responsibilities | West Bromwich Albion".
  3. ^ a b c Girandola, Chris. "Why the Rowdies rule". Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
  4. ^ "Andrew Nestor-Led Group Buys Bologna FC". Forbes.
  5. ^ Quarstad, Brian (January 29, 2010). "Q and A with Andrew Nestor, Owner, President and CEO of FC Tampa Bay".
  6. ^ "FC Tampa Bay Acquire the Rights to "Rowdies" Name | IMS Soccer News". January 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "HOW ROWDIES BUILT CHAMP". Tampa Bay Times.
  8. ^ Nutting, Jake (October 4, 2018). "Here's everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Rowdies". DRaysBay.
  9. ^ "Former Rowdies president buys Italian team". Business Observer. October 27, 2014.
  10. ^ "Bilkul CEO Andrew Nestor assumes Sporting Director responsibilities | West Bromwich Albion".
  11. ^ "Cerro Capital sees timing advantage in growth-capital space". 28 November 2022.
  12. ^ Cox, Lewis (July 5, 2024). "Directors Andrew Nestor and Ashish Patel confirmed on board of West Brom owners Bilkul". www.expressandstar.com.
  13. ^ "West Bromwich Albion: Andrew Nestor appointed in sporting director role". 16 August 2024.