Thibaut Potdevin has joined the ACO as marketing and sales manager. He will be attached to Frédéric Lénart, the ACO general manager, and will also report to Gérard Neveu, general manager of the Le Mans Endurance management (LMEM) company, a subsidiary of the ACO in charge of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series. In direct collaboration with Frédéric Garcia he will ensure the development of marketing partnerships and TV coverage of the World Endurance Championship.

Thirty-eight-year-old Thibaut Potdevin was born in Tours and worked for the Lagardère Group and the AFP before joining the UEFA in 2007. In succession, he negotiated the media rights, partnerships and hospitality sales for the 2008, 2012 and 2016 European Football Championship as well as those for the Champions League.

Patrick Maitrot, the current manager of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s development department, will leave his job after the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours to pursue a new professional project. The ACO would like to thank him for the work he has done in developing partnerships for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the setting up of the ACO Solutions Entreprise department.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “The introduction of new technical regulations aimed at sustainable development, the revival of interest among the manufacturers in endurance racing, and the work carried out by the ACO teams and its subsidiary, the LMEM, over the past few years have reinforced the success of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and made the FIA World Endurance Championship a worldwide benchmark. We now have to capitalise on these early successes to convince new partners to join our championship and increase our presence even more by multiplying our international broadcasting agreements. Thibaut Potdevin will take advantage of his experience to carry out this mission.”

Thibaut Potdevin, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s marketing and sales manager: “I’m very happy to be joining the ACO and to work for the Le Mans 24 Hours, one of the most prestigious races in the world, as well as for the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is enjoying ever-increasing success after only three years’ existence.”