Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) - which boasts a position as the world's number one live theatre company - has appointed Jonathan Grisdale in a new Executive Director role as Managing Director - Sponsorship, Sales & Marketing.

Grisdale will join the company full time in August and will work alongside ATG's co-founders and Joint CEOs Sir Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire OBE.

He will join ATG's London-based Executive Board and will be responsible for strategy direction on sponsorship, sales and ticketing, marketing, customer engagement, business partnership and revenue management operations for the Group.

Grisdale's varied career has seen him conducting business and leading teams in the UK, USA, Western and Eastern Europe, central Asia, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean and Australasia.

Prior to ATG, Grisdale was President and CEO of TUI Marine, a company that includes the market leading brands in water-based leisure companies - the yacht charter brands Sunsail, The Moorings and Footloose, the inland waterways charter business Le Boat, and the private catamaran business Leopard Catamarans.

Previous roles included International Managing Director for Domestic & General, Commercial Director for British Mediterranean Airways - a franchise partner of British Airways - and Head of Corporate Development for Cendant Corporation. He began his career at American Express.

Grisdale said: "I am delighted to be joining ATG at such an exciting time in its development. It's clear that this is a vibrant company which delivers outstanding productions and memorable customer experiences every day. I look forward to working with such a talented and dedicated group of people".

Panter commented: "This newly-created Board level role is essential because the sales and marketing functions support every aspect of our business. The post also recognises the new opportunities that ATG is pursuing through sponsorship and international expansion.

"Jonathan brings a huge amount of international experience to the Group and will be a valued member of our Executive Board. We very much look forward to working with him in developing the business and driving our global strategy plans".

The past twelve months have been one of the most pivotal and ground-breaking periods in ATG's twenty-two year history as the company's plans for international expansion have started to become realised.

Through a US based subsidiary, ATG acquired The Lyric Theatre (formerly Foxwoods) from Live Nation Entertainment and in doing so, became the first British owners of a theatre on Broadway. During this time, ATG also sold a majority share in the company to global private equity firm Providence Equity Partners and completed the purchase of theatre ticketing agency, The Ticket Machine Group Ltd (TMG). In addition, ATG has made a number of significant appointments designed to allow ATG to expand its successful business model internationally – combining theatre ownership/management with producing activity and ticketing/marketing operations.