Founder, Chairman & CEO Ryan Stana transitions to Executive Chairman; COO Jake McCoy appointed Interim CEO
NEW YORK, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RWS Global, a world leader in live experiences across entertainment and sports, today announced that Founder, Chairman & CEO Ryan Stana will transition to Executive Chairman. Current Chief Operating Officer Jake McCoy has been appointed Interim CEO. The transition was announced by Stana with the support of Bluestone Equity Partners, RWS Global's minority investor, as well as the company's Board of Directors.
RWS Global is headquartered in New York, London, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Orlando, Sydney, and Riyadh, with dedicated studios in New York and the UK. The company delivers entertainment and sports experiences for global brands, cruise lines, sports properties, and venue owners, with blue-chip clients such as Apple, Carnival, The Coca-Cola Company, FIFA, Merlin Entertainments, NFL, Warner Bros., and many more. With end-to-end capabilities spanning ideation to execution, RWS Global produces over one million live moments daily and employs more than 8,000 people worldwide.
This transition marks a pivotal milestone in RWS Global's growth. After five years of exponential expansion, the company is well positioned to enter its next stage of evolution. This leadership structure will enable Stana to focus on long-term strategy, vision and new growth frontiers while McCoy focuses on driving operational excellence and day-to-day execution.
Stana, who has led RWS Global since founding it 23 years ago, has scaled the company into a premier provider of live entertainment, expanding its global footprint, diversifying its offerings, and attracting top talent from around the world. As Executive Chairman, he will continue to support the leadership team and partner closely with McCoy to ensure continuity and sustained momentum.
"Jake has been instrumental in our growth and is the right leader for RWS Global today," said Stana. "I have had the privilege of guiding the business through significant growth and M&A with a clear focus on building for the future. The priority now is ensuring the right leadership is in place to sustain that momentum. Jake's operational expertise, global perspective, and ability to deliver world-class experiences make him well suited to lead the company into its next chapter and drive continued success for our team and partners."
As Interim CEO, McCoy will oversee global operations and drive execution across the business. A tenured leader at RWS Global, he brings more than a decade of experience across divisions and markets. He began his career at RWS Global as a production manager and has played a key role in building the company's operational infrastructure and scaling its global footprint.
As COO, McCoy led global expansion initiatives and operational excellence across land, sea & sports production. In 2022, he relocated to the UK to establish the company's presence there and will remain based in the UK.
"Throughout my time at RWS Global, I've had the opportunity to work closely with Ryan and help build nearly every part of the business," said McCoy. "Ryan's vision, enthusiasm and leadership are so inspiring. I'm humbled and excited to lead the team into its next phase-combining creative excellence with operational rigor to scale the brand globally while strengthening performance, accountability, and speed."
The search for a permanent CEO is underway and is being led by Bluestone Equity Partners. Candidates can submit applications to: RWSSearch@bluestoneequity.com.
To support this transition, Chief Financial Officer Chris Lucarz has been appointed Interim President & CFO, with expanded oversight of financial performance, operations, and business discipline.
The broader leadership team continues to reflect a balance of institutional knowledge and external expertise. Lucarz (formerly NBCUniversal) and Chief Growth Officer Veronica Hart (formerly Paramount Global) bring strong corporate and scaling experience, while long-standing executives-including Chief Creative Officer Craig Laurie, Chief of Staff Meghan Murphy, and McCoy-provide deep institutional continuity.
"Ryan has been a driving force behind RWS Global's success," said Bobby Sharma, Founder & Managing Partner of Bluestone Equity Partners. "We are confident in this leadership evolution and excited to support Ryan, Jake, and the executive team as they continue to drive growth and innovation."
About RWS Global
RWS Global is the world leader in groundbreaking live moments across entertainment and sports, creating customized guest experiences spanning theatrical productions, live events, immersive destinations, multimedia and consumer products.
RWS Global is headquartered in New York, London, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Orlando, Sydney and Riyadh with dedicated RWS Studios in NYC and the UK to serve its vast talent pipeline and client base. With a focus on entertainment and sports experiences, RWS Global serves major brands and corporations, theaters, cruise lines, sports properties, live venues, parks, resorts and more. Offering end-to-end services from ideation to operations, RWS Global's team of world-class designers, creators, producers and visionary talent provide unrivaled scale, producing over one million live moments every day and employing over 8,000 individuals and performers worldwide.
The RWS Global roster of clients includes Apple, Azamara, The Coca-Cola Company, Commonwealth Games, Crayola, Europa-Park Resort, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, FIFA, The FRIENDS Experience by Original X Productions, Hard Rock Resorts, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, Holland America Line, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, International Cricket Council, Invictus Games, Lionsgate, Merlin Entertainments, MSC Cruises, NFL, Six Flags, Space Center Houston, TUI Group, Vera Wang, Warner Bros., Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, Chicago the Musical, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and more. For more information, visit rwsglobal.com.
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