Latest news with #English-born
France 24
18 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
NBA Raptors drop Ujiri as president after 13 seasons
The 54-year-old English-born executive has British, Nigerian, Kenyan and Canadian citizenship. He was named the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2013 while with Denver, the only non-US winner of the award. "During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it," MLSE President and chief executive officer Keith Pelley said. "He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best." The Raptors, however, went 30-52 this past season, missing the NBA playoffs for the third year in a row and fourth time in five seasons. They haven't won a playoff series since getting past Brooklyn in the 2020 opening round. "As we plan for the franchise's future, and its return to the NBA playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately." The move came a day after the NBA Draft and just ahead of next week's start of NBA free agency. The Raptors announced they would keep key front office personnel, including general manager Bobby Webster, who received a contract extension, the terms of which were not revealed. "We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place," Pelley said. "They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel. "We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship." Ujiri played his entire on-court career in Europe, including a stint with England's Derby Rams, before joining the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets as a scout. He was hired by the Raptors as global scouting director and in 2008 became Toronto's assistant general manager. He returned to Denver in 2010 as executive vice president and general manager, the first African general manager in major American sports. The Nuggets won a club-record 57 games in 2012-13, with Ujiri being named the league's top executive, and Ujiri signed with the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager in May 2013.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NBA Raptors drop Ujiri as president after 13 seasons
Masai Ujiri has been dumped as president of the Toronto Raptors, the NBA club announced (MARK BLINCH) Masai Ujiri, who oversaw a 2019 NBA championship run, has been axed as president and vice-chairman of the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) announced Friday. The 54-year-old English-born executive has British, Nigerian, Kenyan and Canadian citizenship. He was named the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2013 while with Denver, the only non-US winner of the award. Advertisement "During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it," MLSE President and chief executive officer Keith Pelley said. "He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best." The Raptors, however, went 30-52 this past season, missing the NBA playoffs for the third year in a row and fourth time in five seasons. They haven't won a playoff series since getting past Brooklyn in the 2020 opening round. "As we plan for the franchise's future, and its return to the NBA playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately." Advertisement The move came a day after the NBA Draft and just ahead of next week's start of NBA free agency. The Raptors announced they would keep key front office personnel, including general manager Bobby Webster, who received a contract extension, the terms of which were not revealed. "We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place," Pelley said. "They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel. "We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship." Advertisement Ujiri played his entire on-court career in Europe, including a stint with England's Derby Rams, before joining the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets as a scout. He was hired by the Raptors as global scouting director and in 2008 became Toronto's assistant general manager. He returned to Denver in 2010 as executive vice president and general manager, the first African general manager in major American sports. The Nuggets won a club-record 57 games in 2012-13, with Ujiri being named the league's top executive, and Ujiri signed with the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager in May 2013. js/nr
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Watch emotional moment Alex Dunne reunites with family after living ‘little boy's dream' on Formula 1 debut in Austria
ALEX DUNNE shared a tender moment with his family after living "a little boy's dream" on his Formula 1 debut with McLaren. The GP . 1 Alex Dunne made his F1 debut with McLaren at the Austrian GP Credit: Alamy Live News He more than lived up to the billing, driving fourth fastest in the session. Dunne's finished less than a tenth of a second behind teammate and Championship leader Oscar Piastri. After crossing the finish line at the Red Bull Ring, he sent an emotional message of thanks to the He said: "'A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. Read More on Alex Dunne 'Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car.' When he got back to the garage, the Irishman was greeted by his family , with hugs aplenty, while he was congratulated by his brother who was wearing an Offaly jersey . By driving in English-born Firman raced under an Irish licence for Most read in Football Dunne is also the first driver born on the island of And he is the first born in the Republic since Tommy Byrne, who took part in two grands prix with backmarker Theodore in 1982. Lando Norris punished by F1 bosses with five-second penalty after being snitched on by rival Max Verstappen Lando Norris retook the seat from Dunne for FP2 and FP3. Commenting after the session, Dunne said: "I don't even know where to start. "Super, super happy. i think it is safe to say it went pretty well. "We knew going through the session that the goal wasn't necessarily performance, it was more to help out with the car, help Lando, and just help the team improve as much as they can for FP2, FP3 and then onwards into the weekend. "To have the pace and show what I am capable of on the F1 stage is something pretty special." Dunne's star has been rising since making his F2 debut under the McLaren banner in March. He made a dream start to the 2025 season by becoming the first Irish driver to win an F2 race with victory at Bahrain in April. And after being involved in a dramatic 11-car crash in Monaco last month, he bounced back by climbing 17 places in Barcelona's sprint race to finish second. That podium finish alongside winner Richard Verschoor and third-placed Rafael Villagomez saw Dunne take the outright lead in the F2 standings, further growing his reputation within McLaren. He will also take part in F2 in Austria, with qualifying starting just over two hours after stepping out of Lando's car. Dunne then has the F2 sprint race on Saturday and Sunday's feature race.
Miami Herald
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Sellout crowd parties as Bayern beats Boca 2-1 to advance to Club World Cup Round of 16
From the moment the Club World Cup draw was announced last winter, one group stage match that jumped out was Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium, two of the most decorated clubs in the world, steeped in tradition, backed by passionate fans, in a city that loves a good late-night soccer party. A sellout crowd of 63,587 was on hand Friday night for the clash of continental giants and they got a thriller that ended in a 2-1 Bayern victory after Michael Olise's game-winning goal in the 84th minute. Olise, the English-born midfielder who plays for the French national team, had an Olimpico goal nullified in the early minutes of the game after VAR ruled there was a foul on the play. But he was able to get on the scoresheet late and secure the win, which pushed Bayern through to the Round-of-16. Bayern was the first of the tournament's 32 teams to reach the knockout stage. Boca's royal blue and yellow outnumbered Bayern's red, and the fun-loving Argentines serenaded their heroes, bounced, and waved their arms in unison from the first whistle until the last. It was the first sellout crowd so far in this Club World Cup. The Boca fans booed loudly during Bayern player introductions and for the second time in a week, Hard Rock Stadium looked and sounded like La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. The deafening chants of 'Dale, Dale, Boca' surely were ringing in fans' ears as they headed to the stadium exits. Bayern entered as strong favorites after a ruthless 10-0 thumping of semi-pro New Zealand club Auckland City in its opening game, while Boca was determined to get in the win column after a 2-2 tie against Benfica. Harry Kane, the English national team captain, was not among the Bayern players who scored in the opener, but he struck first on Friday in the 18th minute and raced to the corner to celebrate. Bayern, unfazed by the loud pro-Boca crowd, dominated play during the entire first half and had a few other scoring chances, the best after a strong run by Coman in transition, leading to a pass to Olise, who was unable to get it past Marchesin. Boca was fortunate to be down just 1-0 at intermission. The second half was a different story. The Argentine club stepped up, spent much more time in Bayern's half of the field, and got an equalizer in the 66th minute on a blistering golazo from Uruguayan forward Miguel Merentiel. Boca's fans went wild, many of the men took off their shirts and waved them wildly as the players celebrated on the field. Bayern players anticipated a physical, spirited game from their Argentine opponents. 'You don't come across these kinds of games very often at the European level, where the opponent is so aggressive,' Serge Gnabry said in the lead-up to the game. 'But we have to hold our own and concentrate on our game. Then it'll be a game like any other. The stadium will be very loud, it will be a great game. I'm a big Boca fan.' The Argentine club was missing Ander Herrera and former Inter Miami defender Nico Figal for Friday's match, as both were handed four-match bans by FIFA Disciplinary Committee after being red-carded during the opening match against Benfica at Hard Rock Stadium last week. Spanish midfielder Herrera, who had been subbed off due to an injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after arguing with referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to Benfica. Figal was ejected in the 88th minute on a flagrant foul on Florentino Luis. Figal later issued an apology to fans on his social media channels. The only previous official match between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors was on Nov. 27, 200, in Tokyo, Japan, in the Intercontinental Cup. Bayern, coming off a Champions League title, won the tense match 1-0 on a goal by Samuel Kuffour in extra time.
Otago Daily Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Investment adviser aiding the community
She's a woman on a mission to help others, whether through her job as a financial adviser or via service organisation Rotary. Business editor Sally Rae talks to April Eden. Meet April Eden from Dunedin — and yes, that really is her tagline. The rhyme is on purpose and this powerhouse is hot on her own purpose, particularly helping women build confidence with money and take control of their financial futures and flying the flag for service organisation Rotary as a vehicle to do good in the world. English-born but Dunedin-proud, her road to becoming an investment adviser might not have taken a traditional trajectory but she was determined to show her daughters she could achieve something and make her mark on the world. It was when her first child was young that Mrs Eden, 33, decided she did not want to be "another statistic". Having quit secondary school at the beginning of year 12, she worked in hospitality. At 19, she became pregnant and, while "not quite a teen mum", she felt she was still not a full mum in the eyes of society. With creative flair, she had initially thought she would pursue something like graphic design but at 23 found her aptitude in accounting. When she decided to return to study, backed by her supportive partner, she did not want to commit herself, knowing that secondary school and herself did not agree with each other. So, she did a certificate of business administration at Otago Polytechnic and discovered it was very different from secondary school — "you're in charge of yourself". Having enjoyed that, she later completed a Bachelor of applied management, switching majors from marketing to accounting, at the polytechnic. Those early years were a whirlwind which included getting married, having a second child and buying and selling several houses. While studying, she was one of three New Zealand-based students selected to take part in a student workshop held as part of an entrepreneurs' summit in China in 2018, coincidentally all three coming from Otago Polytechnic. But then she could not find a job as an accountant, despite "interviews galore" all over the country. She specifically wanted to get into audit and risk, with a desire to know how businesses worked, but interviews would indirectly raise the matter of her having two children, questioning how she was going to manage the travel. Also, she was getting blank looks when she asked what the career path looked like for her three years down the track. After potentially uprooting her husband, children and life, she did not want to be uplifting them again in three years' time and she wanted to show loyalty to a company — somewhere she could "grow with them". It was when she got an interview for a private wealth assistant at Craigs Investment Partners that she was shown exactly what a 10-year career path looked like. She started there in 2018 and has worked her way up, next January marking four years as an adviser. Bubbly, colourful and a straight talker, Mrs Eden admitted she loved her job. "It sounds really corny, but no two days are the same, there's so much variety in a day." Ultimately, it was a job that was all about relationships and, with a love of people, that flowed through to her extracurricular passion which was Rotary. She did not want to be seen as "just another investment adviser". And when clients or potential clients searched her name, she did not want it to solely come up with her business profile. She wanted it to come up with all the things she was doing in the community that she was passionate about, so they could feel like they were getting to know her a little before they came to see her — "an ordinary person with a pretty cool job, that I actually do care — and I do". President of Rotary Dunedin Central and on the board of District 9999, the Rotary district which covered the South Island, she said it was unfortunate the organisation had the perception of an "old man's club". Her club was 50% female, and the average age was late 50s. "There is still such a need for Rotary, arguably now more than ever," she said. This year, a team from Ignite Consultants Otago, the student-led voluntary organisation which offered free consulting services to not-for-profit organisations, worked with Rotary Dunedin Central. The team was charged with helping make the club more accessible and appealing to young professionals and worked closely with Mrs Eden. With only one of the students knowing what Rotary was before the project, they looked at it from a "completely outside perspective" with no preconceived ideas. Being able to take their suggestions back to the club and further afield was a chance to say "this is literally what young people are saying". For the younger generation wanting to do good in the world, Rotary — which has a seat at the United Nations — could be the vehicle to allow them to do that, she said. Mrs Eden was on a mission to help bring Rotary into 2025 and beyond by breaking the stereotypes, modernising the message and ensuring the organisation continued to do good for decades to come. It was a fine line to tread as she did not want existing members, who had so much wisdom and connections, to be alienated. But she was adamant the only tradition that Rotary had was that it "does good in the community". The organisation had lots of different club structures and options. While there were still some clubs which met weekly, there were also online clubs which did their project planning online, and some clubs which dealt specifically with one cause. "It's just that balance between reminding our existing Rotarians why you joined in the first place — because you wanted to do good in the community — and then telling the next generation that 'hey, we're here and we'll help you do these good things that are important to you now'," she said. Personally, Rotary had given her purpose, friendships, professional and personal development and the chance to make a real impact. Her club was very open to change and trying new things. It had three or four key fundraising projects a year; it helped with the Dunedin Brick Show, featuring all things Lego, at the Edgar Centre and the money raised went to a youth-oriented charity — last year it was Rock Solid. It has the Rotary book sale next month and it also sells pea straw. It bought a commercial washing machine for the Night Shelter and has helped re-establish gardens and an orchard at Bradford School and has also helped the astronomical society. "We recognise that the little guy needs help too. Buying a new laptop for an organisation ... could be the difference between them paying rent on a building they're using for a month or two," she said. Mrs Eden said, when asked how she managed to balance everything, that she worked very hard and she had a fantastic support system with her husband. When it came to resilience in leadership, she was inspired by her elder daughter, who was one of two children who went missing after a bush walk in the Mavora Lakes area in Southland in July 2023. They were found by a search party the following morning. Her daughter came out of that experience braver and even went skydiving for her 13th birthday. Watching her navigate that experience, Mrs Eden said she could not "be the scared person". "Leadership is not about how to avoid the storms, it's how you navigate them and how you bring the others through with you," she said.
