Simon Gotch on release from WWE
The former Simon Gotch, now known as Simon Grimm on the indies, recently spoke with USA Today about his release from WWE earlier this month and how it was a mutual agreement.
“They brought it to me and I agreed. It was one of those things where I was unhappy, and they basically felt like the character had run its course. I said I agreed, and they said they wanted to exercise the termination clause in my contract. I agreed with that as well and we went from there. This wasn’t exactly an unwanted thing on my part. I wasn’t happy, and I actually felt that was the best move. In any situation, sometimes if you see the opportunity, you take it.”
WWE hires new GM for India
WWE issued the following on Thursday:
WWE® Appoints New General Manager in India
04/20/2017 – MUMBAI, India & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the appointment of Sheetesh Srivastava as Vice President and General Manager, WWE India.
Srivastava will lead WWE’s strategic business initiatives and day-to-day operations in India and work with partners across all of WWE’s lines of business, including television, live events, marketing, sponsorship, new media, licensing and merchandising. Srivastava is a seasoned executive with more than 18 years of experience in driving strategic business growth in domestic and international markets. He will report to Ed Wells, WWE Executive Vice President, International.
“India is key to the global growth of WWE, and we are confident Sheetesh will successfully help develop our brand and business in this critically important country,” said Wells. “WWE is committed to expanding its presence in India, and we are pleased to welcome Sheetesh to further our efforts in the market.”
India represents WWE’s single largest regional contribution to the brand’s massive social media community of 750 million followers globally. To increase engagement with fans in India, WWE recently launched WWEShop.in, the company’s first-ever local, e-commerce experience in India.
Srivastava joins WWE from The Walt Disney Company in India, where he most recently led business development for Disney Media Networks, overseeing branded content creation, distribution, marketing and syndication. Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles at Reliance Broadcast Network, The Times of India Group, and Frito Lay India.
Srivastava is an Economics graduate from Lucknow University, and he received a Master’s degree in Business Management from the Institute for Integrated Learning in Management.