TKO Adds Two New Executives to Strengthen WWE & UFC Brand Partnerships

TKO Group Holdings—the parent company of WWE and UFC—is making big moves to bolster its global partnerships strategy, adding two heavy hitters to its executive roster.

According to Deadline, Sana Shuaib has been brought in as Senior Vice President of Partnership Marketing & Digital. She’ll now be leading marketing and commercial strategy across TKO’s major brands, including UFC, WWE, and PBR. That includes securing new deals and locking down renewals with existing brand partners.

Shuaib comes with serious experience, having previously worked as SVP of Partnership Marketing at Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing. During her run there, she played a key role in renewing deals with major sponsors like Audi, Coca-Cola, Allstate, and Bodyarmor. Her resume also includes leadership positions with Hyatt Hotels, the NBA, and FedEx. In a statement, Grant Norris-Jones, EVP of TKO Global Partnerships, praised the new addition:

“To say we’re thrilled to have Sana join our team is an understatement. Sana built her career on developing transformative partnerships and integrated marketing strategies with industry leading brands. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to deliver for partners in unique and innovative ways, and we look forward to adding the depth of her expertise to our group.”

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Meanwhile, longtime UFC executive Brit Santypal has been promoted to SVP of Operations. He’ll now be overseeing the Revenue Strategy and Marketing Solutions teams, sharpening the operational edge of TKO’s partnerships unit.

Santypal has spent over a decade working with UFC and TKO’s global partnerships, and his internal promotion reflects the trust TKO leadership has in his work. Norris-Jones acknowledged his importance to the company’s recent success:

“Since 2019, Brit has been instrumental in leading the Partnership Marketing team for UFC, and following the integration of the UFC and WWE Global Partnerships teams into one unit 18 months ago, Brit has been essential in applying that same successful model for partner servicing and renewals across TKO.”

With Shuaib bringing in fresh vision and Santypal doubling down on execution, TKO’s partnership game just got a serious upgrade.