Sphere Entertainment names Karen Laureano-Rikardsen as global marketing and comms chief
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Sphere Entertainment has appointed Karen Laureano-Rikardsen as its global head of corporate marketing and communications, making her the company's lead spokesperson and putting her in charge of promotional efforts for the Las Vegas venue. The appointment comes as Sphere continues expanding its immersive entertainment offerings, which include Darren Aronofsky's "Postcard From Earth," "The Wizard of Oz" and an upcoming "Rocky Horror Picture Show" production, with executives saying the hire will help the company communicate its vision as it grows internationally.
Laureano-Rikardsen will be based in New York and report to Jennifer Koester, Sphere's president and chief operating officer. She joins from the finance sector, having spent nine years at Cantor Fitzgerald as chief communications and marketing officer for the parent company and its affiliates BGC Group and Newmark Group, and previously held senior communications and marketing roles at Credit Suisse, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Hill & Knowlton. The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" production is set for 2027, while Sphere has said its "Wizard of Oz" reimagining has generated over $400 million and sold more than three million tickets since opening in August 2025.
- Sphere Entertainment hires Karen Laureano-Rikardsen as global marketing and comms chief
- She previously spent nine years at Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and Newmark
- Will be based in New York, reporting to president Jennifer Koester
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Sphere is the giant spherical entertainment venue in Las Vegas, known for hosting immersive shows using massive screens and sound systems, including a reimagined "Wizard of Oz" and a Darren Aronofsky film. It is run by Sphere Entertainment, a company that is trying to grow the format internationally and keep audiences coming through a mix of concerts, films and other experiences, with further productions such as a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" staging already planned.
The person at the centre of this story, Karen Laureano-Rikardsen, has spent her career in communications and marketing rather than entertainment, most recently at the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald and its affiliated companies, with earlier roles at banks including Credit Suisse. She will report to Jennifer Koester, who serves as Sphere's president and chief operating officer.
This appointment matters because how Sphere is talked about publicly, from ticket sales to its expansion plans, will now run through this newly created leadership role, at a time when the company is trying to prove the venue's format can work beyond its original Las Vegas home.
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Originally published by Variety as “Sphere Entertainment Hires Karen Laureano-Rikardsen as Global Marketing and Comms Chief”.