FORT MYERS, Fla. — Sam Kennedy has spent most of the last decade serving as President and CEO of the Red Sox, and now he’s about to see his influence expand beyond the organization as well.
Friday afternoon Fenway Sports Group announced that Kennedy is being promoted to CEO of FSG. The Brookline native will remain President and CEO of the Red Sox, but in his new role he will also work closely with principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Mike Gordon in overseeing the entire FSG portfolio, which includes Liverpool F.C. of the English Premier League, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, NASCAR’s RFK Racing and TGL’s Boston Common Golf in addition to the Red Sox.
Billy Hogan, the CEO of Liverpool F.C., is receiving a similar promotion and will become CEO of FSG International.
“This moment in FSG’s expansion marks a fitting occasion to formalize our leadership structure, recognizing the ongoing contributions and responsibilities shouldered by Sam and Billy across our entire portfolio,” said Henry, Werner and Gordon in a joint statement. “We know our people are our greatest asset, and in Sam and Billy we have two of the most accomplished executives in the industry whose enduring contributions stand out even more as original hires by FSG over two decades ago. Among their peers, they are universally respected for their leadership and have been integral to numerous championships in Boston and Liverpool. We are pleased to formalize roles they have performed and embodied for the past several years.”
Kennedy and Hogan’s new titles were announced at FSG’s annual owners’ meeting in Bonita Springs, Florida. The promotion is the latest step up the ladder for Kennedy, who joined the Red Sox front office in 2002, became club President and CEO in 2017 and formally joined the ownership group as a partner in 2021.