ROCHELLE PARK, N.J., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZRG, the global talent firm, and its TurnkeyZRG, sports, entertainment & media division, today announced its continued growth with the hire of Billy King as Managing Director in the Private Equity group and the Sports Group.
King served as General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers from 1998-2003 and President and General Manager from 2003-2007 and the Nets from 2010-2016. Prior to becoming the General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, Billy served as an Assistant Coach of the Indiana Pacers for four seasons. He was also an Assistant Coach at Illinois State University from 1989-1993 before joining the professional ranks. King is a graduate of Duke University where he played basketball under legendary coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Billy was Captain of the Duke basketball team in 1988 and was a part of the 1986 and 1988 Final Four teams.
“Too many search firms today are really just sales firms. Talent recruitment is supposed to be about building winning teams. Billy King at Duke, Billy King as a Coach, Billy King in the NBA, and Billy King in his personal journey has always had a knack for spotting talent, getting the most out of talent and creating winning teams with the exact right talent choices. TurnkeyZRG is blessed to have Billy join our team,” said Len Perna, TurnkeyZRG’s Chairman and CEO.
“Coach K taught me a long time ago that teams are about trusting each other and working together. You have to have each other’s back in order to succeed as a team. Talent recruitment and the chance to help our clients build high functioning, winning teams is my passion. Doing this now with TurnkeyZRG, the top search firm in the industry, is thrilling. I’ll do my best to make us better and make our clients better,” added King.
“We are thrilled to have Billy participate in the private equity team at ZRG. His combination of sports and business expertise coupled with his incredible professional network will allow us to continue to drive opportunities to help our private equity clients leverage talent to drive value across their portfolios,” said Rich Herman, Managing Partner and Global Private Equity Practice Leader, ZRG Partners.
King joins TurnkeyZRG with over two decades of experience in Sports & Entertainment. Prior to his time in executive search, Billy was co-host of The WIP Morning Show in Philadelphia while also serving as a studio analyst for NBATV. Along with his radio and TV hosting duties, King was President of Elfus Sports, where he worked as an agent for basketball coaches and general managers. In addition, King was the President of ReachMe Sports, a division of ReachTV based in Los Angeles. ReachTV is a multi-channel multi-platform network that has a reach of 100 million viewers.
“With over 20 years’ experience working in the NBA, Billy has built a vast network in and outside the sports world. Now partnering with TurnkeyZRG, together they’ll provide unparalleled service,” said Marc Lasry, co-founder and CEO of Avenue Capital Group and former owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Current Big 12 Commissioner and former CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Brett Yormark added, “TurnkeyZRG is the best search firm in the business. Now they’re bringing in a perennial All Star in Billy King. It’s a championship combination – tough to beat. Billy has decades of hands-on practitioner experience with players, coaches, GMs, business side, etc. I’ve worked closely with Billy, Len, Chad Chatlos and their whole team. There’s nobody better at identifying and recruiting top talent.”
Billy currently serves on the Board of Directors for USA Field Hockey, Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, where he developed a special bond with the charity’s namesake.
About TurnkeyZRG
TurnkeyZRG is North America’s top talent advisory firm in sports, music and entertainment with more than 1,800 placements since 1996. TurnkeyZRG has placed CEO’s, Presidents, Commissioners, and other executives, spanning all functional areas, into the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, SUM, NWSL, NASCAR, Indy Car, tennis, golf, college sports, etc.
Recently TurnkeyZRG placed the Commissioners of the ACC, PAC-12, Big 12, Big Ten and the President of the NCAA and the firm was ranked as the 4th most influential player in college sports. Since being acquired by ZRG in 2020, TurnkeyZRG has experienced tremendous growth from implementing ZRG’s data-driven, tech-driven talent process.
About ZRG
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is changing the way companies hire and manage talent. ZRG’s data-driven approach to executive and professional search has been changing the way clients think about how to find top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvement to dramatically deliver executive searches quicker and with proven better results.
Today, with the help of private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG is among the fastest growing firms in the search industry and provides a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
About RFE Investment Partners
Founded in 1979, RFE Investment Partners is a private equity investor with a long-standing small buyout heritage and a time-tested strategy for growing businesses. RFE equips companies with the capabilities and resources to scale by leveraging the extensive operational expertise, financial acumen, and broad business network of the RFE team.
Through over 75 small buyout transactions, RFE has consistently guided portfolio companies through multiple business cycles while driving value creation. RFE invested in ZRG Partners in December 2018, providing the tools and guidance needed to expand the capabilities and product offerings of the company, as well as grow the business on an international scale.
