Rick Alessandri

Rick Alessandri
Senior Vice President & X Games Managing Director

Rick Alessandri was named ESPN’s senior vice president & X Games managing director in January of 2007. Alessandri is responsible for managing the global X Games franchise, including the two U.S. X Games events, multiple international X Games events, ESPN’s 24/7 action sports site ESPN.com/Action and developing new business initiatives that will continue to grow the X Games brand. Alessandri is also responsible for managing operations and development for the ESPN Zone franchise and all Zone properties.

Prior to this role, since February 2006 Alessandri served as senior vice president, ESPN consumer products, responsible for overseeing operations for ESPN Home Entertainment & Branded Experiences, Licensing and Direct Businesses. Previously, Alessandri had served as a senior vice president within ESPN Enterprises since 2003. Among his accomplishments, Alessandri spearheaded ESPN’s first branded entrance in to the consumer products industry and developed ESPN brand extensions on a number of different platforms including on-line, wireless, credit card and gaming products.

In November 2002, Alessandri was named vice president, assistant to the president, working closely with ESPN President George Bodenheimer on a variety of strategic initiatives, including managing ESPN Enterprises, handling third-party sales of SportsTicker and overseeing ESPN’s entrance into wireless business initiatives.

Alessandri joined ESPN in November of 2000, when the company acquired SportsTicker. Alessandri, who joined that company in 1982, was vice president and general manager of the 24-hour real time sports and information news service.

Alessandri is a native of Yonkers, New York. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in communications from Fordham University.