Sharks Sports & Entertainment, owner of the San Jose Sharks, has named Jonathan Becher and John Tortora its new co-presidents. The personnel decision was announced by Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner.
Becher will be responsible for the areas of sales, marketing and revenue. Tortora, who has served as SSE’s chief operating officer since 2011, will oversee the company’s finance and venue operations. He will also remain an alternate governor for the franchise with the National Hockey League.
Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson will continue to oversee hockey operations.
“Jonathan and John’s skill sets complement each other very well and I am confident this will lead to a stronger and more streamlined organization for our fans and our partners,” said Plattner. “Both are not only passionate about the organization but also about the game of hockey and the Sharks.”
Becher spent the past decade at SAP, most recently in the dual role of SAP’s chief digital officer and the head of the SAP Digital business unit. Previously, Becher served as the company’s chief marketing officer, during which he oversaw many of SAP’s large-scale sports and entertainment partnerships, including the naming rights agreement for the SAP Center at San Jose, home of the Sharks. He also crafted corporate partnerships with the San Francisco 49ers, the National Hockey League (NHL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA), among others. In addition, Becher is a long-time Sharks season ticket holder.
Under Tortora as chief operating officer, the Sharks organization has undergone several transformative events, including participating in the 2015 Stadium Series outdoor game at Levi’s Stadium, relocating the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda to SAP Center as part of a larger AHL expansion to the West Coast, and completing a long-term lease extension with the City of San Jose to allow the Sharks to remain in the Capital of Silicon Valley through 2040. He has been with the organization since 2011, serving as general counsel, prior to being promoted to chief operating officer in 2013.
