CORNELIUS, N.C. – Spire Holdings has announced two key executive-level appointments to the organization’s Cornelius, N.C., headquarters.
William “Bill” Anthony, a veteran sports, entertainment and transactional jurist returns to Spire to serve as the organization’s President, while Emma Setzer, the firm’s current chief fiduciary, will be elevated to the role of Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations.
Spire Holdings is the parent organization of Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E), Spire Motorsports, Spire Hockey, and Track Enterprises.
“As Spire has charted a path forward with motorsports, hockey and promotional acquisitions, and as we re-engineer the agency for a changing sports landscape, T.J. (Spire Holdings co-owner T.J. Puchyr) and I decided that while we look to the future, we can capitalize on our current leadership while pulling resources from our past,” said fellow Spire Holdings co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “We are thrilled to welcome Bill Anthony back to the Spire family as our President and pair him with Emma Setzer, our new Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations. Emma and Bill bring a wealth of experience and personify who we are, and who we strive to be every day. We’re confident Bill and Emma will lead our organization to the success we strive for.”
Anthony returns to Spire after spending the last two years as General Counsel for Infinite Esports & Entertainment in Frisco, Texas and later at Immortals Gaming Club in Los Angeles, following a merger transaction.
He previously served as General Counsel for SS+E from 2013-2018.
The University of California, Los Angeles alumnus worked directly with an ownership consortium that included Anschutz Entertainment Group, Lionsgate Interactive Venture and Games, Memphis Grizzlies co-owner Steve Kaplan, the Milken family, Meg Whitman, and Texas Rangers co-owners Ray Davis and Neil Leibman.
Anthony reported directly to the CEO and served on the executive leadership team, while spearheading strategic corporate and tactical legal initiatives.
Beginning in 2002, Anthony facilitated legal affairs and contractual transactions for Motorsports Management Int’l, where he worked with and counseled some of the world’s premier race drivers, including Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne.
After nearly a decade with MMI, Anthony transitioned to SS+E where he led contract negotiations and execution for James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. At the same time, Anthony led legal affairs and served as General Counsel.
His return provides Spire Holdings with a hands-on skill set, including practical knowledge of intellectual property rights, licensing, talent and sponsor agreements, sports and entertainment industry management and best practices.
“The ability of Spire Holdings to diversify and advance its portfolio of sports and entertainment assets over the past several years has been quite impressive, and it is a testament to the ownership and the dedicated Spire personnel that have been entrusted to forge those new paths,” said Anthony. “I am grateful and excited about my return to the team, working alongside Emma, and look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the Spire family.”
Setzer is an accounting and management professional with nearly 25 years of experience.
The San Diego, Calif., native relocated to North Carolina in the early 1980s where she began her career in the construction and commercial development industry, serving critical roles in a host of prominent local projects in Charlotte, N.C. – one of the nation’s fastest growing and most popular cities.
She made the leap from commercial development to the NASCAR industry in 2003 when she took on the accounting, travel and office management responsibilities for Braun Racing, and later Turner-Scott Motorsports – a role she held until 2012.
She joined SS+E in 2014 as Chief Financial Officer, where her role expanded from fiduciary into much of the organization’s day-to-day operations.
Over the next six years, Setzer played a key role in transitioning SS+E’s service-based business into an emerging sports property stakeholder and competitor. She also championed the organization’s expansion into NASCAR and hockey team ownership, while furthering Spire’s promotional and service offerings.
“I am eager about the direction Jeff (Dickerson) and T.J. (Puchyr) are taking with our entire organization and I’m humbled they have chosen me to help chart the path forward,” offered Setzer. “I am particularly pleased to work alongside Bill Anthony, our new President. I’ve worked closely with Bill in the past and have known him for many years. His hands-on approach and dynamic leadership have been felt across our verticals immediately. We are in very capable hands with Bill leading the charge.”