About the Company
MARI is a new global force in live experiences, uniting world-class events across sport, art, theatre, and lifestyle. Founded by Ariel Emanuel, with Mark Shapiro as Principal Investor and Board Member, MARI draws on decades of leadership redefining culture and entertainment to champion the moments that bring people together.
From the Madrid and Miami Opens to Frieze’s international art fairs, London’s Winter Wonderland, Barrett-Jackson’s legendary auctions, and TodayTix’s pioneering theatre platform, MARI’s portfolio celebrates the power of live events to inspire, connect, and unite. Through deep investment in culture, content, and community, MARI creates unforgettable experiences that move people – and the world.
Position Overview
The SVP, Head of HR for MARI will be a foundational executive leader responsible for shaping the organization’s people strategy as the company unifies and scales a diverse portfolio of live event businesses.
As MARI transitions from a collection of high-performing individual business units into an integrated, future-ready platform, the SVP will architect the organizational structure, culture, and workforce systems that enable seamless collaboration, operational consistency, and continued innovation across all divisions.
The SVP will serve as a strategic partner to the Managing Partner and executive team, guiding the company through rapid growth, ongoing acquisitions, and organizational transformation. This is a hands-on, high-impact leadership role ideal for a forward-thinking HR executive who excels in complex environments and is energized by building new capabilities, integrating diverse cultures, and shaping a unified employee experience.
Key Responsibilities
People Strategy & Organizational Architecture
• Build a scalable People strategy that supports MARI’s transformation into an integrated live events platform and ensures alignment across creative, operational, production, and commercial teams.
• Design a cohesive organizational structure that clarifies roles, decision-making, and collaboration across business units, while accommodating future acquisitions and seasonal staffing needs.
• Lead enterprise-wide workforce planning, forecasting talent requirements across event cycles, specialized roles, and long-term growth priorities.
• Oversee change management for new systems, processes, and structural changes, ensuring consistency, clear communication, and strong leadership adoption across the organization.
• Advise business unit leaders on organizational design, talent deployment, and team effectiveness to support operational excellence and cross-unit collaboration.
• Develop a multi-year People strategy aligned with company growth and acquisitions.
• Design scalable organizational structures across creative, operational, technical, sales, and corporate functions.
Acquisition Integration
• Develop an HR integration playbook for onboarding new acquisitions.
• Lead HR due diligence, talent assessment, and cultural evaluation for future acquisitions.
• Harmonize job architectures, compensation, and workforce policies across the portfolio.
Culture, Values & Employee Experience
• Develop culture and engagement initiatives that unify employees across events and geographies.
• Implement communication strategies that promote transparency during rapid growth and integration.
• [duplicative of fourth bullet in first section]
Talent Acquisition & HR Team Leadership
• Develop a modern, efficient Talent Acquisition function capable of filling roles across creative, operational, technical, sales, and corporate teams. [conforming wording to last bullet of first section]
• Implement streamlined recruiting processes, tools, and metrics to improve hiring quality, speed, and workforce readiness.
• Establish proactive workforce planning and talent pipelines to support seasonal peaks, specialized roles, and long-term organizational growth.
• Build and lead a high-performing HR organization that delivers consistent, scalable support across all MARI business units.
• Coach and develop HR team members, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and operating rhythms within the HR team to ensure strategic alignment and readiness for future acquisitions.
HR Infrastructure, Operations & Compliance
• Implement and manage HRIS, ATS, payroll, and scheduling systems for a multi-unit live events platform.
• Standardize HR operations and benefits while maintaining event-specific flexibility.
• Oversee compensation design across creative, operational, technical, sales, and corporate roles.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws across multiple states and event jurisdictions.
• Establish strong employee relations functions for distributed workforces.
Qualifications
• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including executive-level roles.
• Demonstrated success in multi-unit, multi-brand, or portfolio-based organizations.
• Significant experience with HR M&A integration.
• Background in event-based, operational, or entertainment-driven industries.
• Experience building HR systems and structures in early-stage or rapidly scaling organizations.
• Experience in sports, arts/culture, entertainment, hospitality, ticketing is preferred.
