Ringier Sports Media Reorganizes Leadership to Accelerate Growth Drive

(AsiaGameHub) –   Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG) has restructured its C-suite leadership team as its media network moves past its initial setup phase and into a new era of global expansion.

Launched in 2023, RSMG serves as the sports and gaming media arm of Ringier AG, managing the continent’s most extensive network dedicated to sports news coverage.

In these changes, Marc Walder is set to become the new Chairman of the Board, taking over from Founding Chair Robin Lingg. Meanwhile, Tim Kollmann has been promoted from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer, and Stilian Shishkov is moving into a position on the Board.

These leadership shifts signify the end of RSMG’s foundational build-out period. During this time, the division has grown into a prominent digital sports publisher, engaging over 23 million active users in eight nations.

A fresh chapter in leadership

In his role as Chairman, Walder will steer the group’s long-term strategic vision, with an emphasis on combining editorial excellence with scalable digital growth. His appointment indicates a tighter alignment of RSMG with Ringier’s broader corporate strategy.

Kollmann’s elevation places operational control with an executive deeply connected to the group’s history. Having acted as COO since the beginning, he will now oversee business scaling, the integration of the brand portfolio, and the pursuit of commercial growth alongside enhanced audience engagement.

Discussing his key objectives, Kollmann noted that the company will concentrate on the “core value in deepening the integration of our seven media brands, unlocking new revenue streams and turning them into distinctive destinations for sports fans”.

He further noted that the upcoming stage of RSMG’s evolution will focus on constructing a more unified and scalable platform designed to facilitate international expansion.

The RSMG portfolio features well-known European sports media outlets like Sportal.bg, A Bola (Portugal), Kicker Media (Germany), GSP Romania, and Sport SK/CZ. Together, the group has secured a leading status for sports audiences across eight markets.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, the company has made it a priority to modernise its core media assets and enter new territories, including Greece, as part of a wider plan to diversify its geographic presence.

New horizons

Shishkov’s transition to the Board highlights his ongoing impact on RSMG’s strategy for technological innovation.

As the Founder of Sportal Media Group and the creator of the Sportal365 platform—a pioneering livescore service bought by Ringier in 2021—he offers vast experience in expanding digital sports ecosystems throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Lingg, who is stepping down as Chairman, commented on the change: “Founding RSMG four years ago was a major strategic move for Ringier. We have demonstrated that our vision of uniting leading brands with a global technology platform works. Now is the perfect moment to hand over the reins.”

He continued by saying that the new leadership team “combine deep expertise in sports, media, technology, and operational excellence to lead RSMG into the future”.

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