Simon relinquished his dual role as chief executive and chairman in 2023 – which followed 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova leading calls for change – and the transition of power is completed by the appointment of Camillo.
Her arrival can be seen to represent further acceleration of a new era for the WTA, one where the tour looks to increase its presence in a bustling sports entertainment market.
Camillo is tasked with elevating the reach of women’s tennis. From her role at Herschend Family Entertainment, she can draw inspiration from her close-up experience of seeing how Grammy-winning Parton – with her ‘Dollywood’ theme park and distinctive merchandise complementing her musical talent to create global appeal – is heralded as a beacon of brand-building success.
In the sporting sphere, Camillo will lean on her experience from heading the business operations of the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team – including transforming their Wells Fargo Center into a world-class stadium – and being chief revenue officer of the Washington Nationals baseball side.
Camillo’s familiarity with the commercial sophistication of America’s biggest sports – particularly how they unlock fan growth and attract investment through innovation – is seen as a key reason behind her appointment.
Her move into women’s tennis comes at “a moment of accelerated growth and opportunity”, says the WTA.
Revenue generated across women’s sport last year topped $1bn (£754m) and business analysts forecast it will hit $2.5bn (£1.8bn) by 2030.
Camillo’s mission will be to ensure the WTA and its leading stars – headed by Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek – take a significant slice of the pie.
“Across women’s sports, investment, audiences and media engagement are increasing exponentially,” added Camillo.
“For most part the challenge for women’s sports is building awareness, attracting fans and eyeballs and attention.
“Our challenge is a little different – we’ve been at this for 50 years plus, we have an incredible legacy, a billion viewers globally, and some of the most famous, top-compensated female athletes in the world.
“We have unbelievable assets. The opportunity for us is to leverage these assets in creative ways to unlock additional commercial growth that’s lasting and sustainable and to develop the brand of WTA and women’s tennis.”
