Jennifer Koester is expanding her role at Sphere Entertainment. The live entertainment executive has been named president/COO of Sphere, effective immediately.
Prior to her promotion, Koester served as the company’s president of Sphere Business Operations, which saw her lead the strategy and execution of all business aspects of Sphere, the next-generation entertainment venue in Las Vegas.
In her new role, Koester will continue to work with executive leadership and provide strategic oversight for Sphere Studios, the immersive content studio in Burbank dedicated to developing multi-sensory experiences exclusively for Sphere, including further developing Sphere Studios’ capabilities as a full-service production studio. Koester will also continue to focus on maximizing venue utilization across a range of categories such as original programming, attractions, concerts, residencies, and corporate and marquee events, as well as driving strategic partnerships, delivering the best customer experience and growing Sphere as a premium global brand.
“Since joining our team earlier this year, Jennifer’s contributions have had a significant impact,” said Sphere Entertainment executive chairman/CEO James Dolan in a statement. “We believe we are just scratching the surface of what is possible with Sphere, and her expertise will be essential as we continue to advance on our long-term vision for this next-generation entertainment medium.”
“I welcome the opportunity to take on this expanded role,” added Koester. “Across the Sphere organization we are focused on both bringing unique experiences to life in Las Vegas, and developing new experiences that will keep Sphere at the forefront of immersive entertainment. I look forward to continuing to work with our world-class team to grow our business and deliver on Sphere’s vision for the future of entertainment.”
Koester has 30 years of experience in technology, media and entertainment. She joined Sphere Entertainment in February from Google, where she served as MD, Americas strategic alliances, global partnerships at Google Commercial Operations. Her experience prior to Google includes serving as senior vp of advanced advertising product development, data analytics and ad operations at Cablevision, along with various legal roles.
Koester received a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and a B.S. in management information systems from Binghamton University.