BURGHEIM, Germany. — Sport Group (the “Company”), the global leader in artificial turf and sports and recreation surfaces, today announced the appointment of Alejandro Pena as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Alejandro has more than 25 years of experience leading high-performance organizations and driving transformational growth across the consumer products and building materials sectors. He joins Sport Group following his successful tenure as CEO of Keter Group, a global leader in durable consumer lifestyle solutions. Under his leadership, Keter achieved significant earnings growth while accelerating innovation, digital transformation, and sustainability across its portfolio.
Prior to Keter, Alejandro held senior executive roles at Newell Brands and Jarden Corporation, where he built a track record of scaling global businesses, optimizing operations, and fostering winning cultures. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
“I’m honored to join Sport Group at such an exciting moment in its journey,” said Mr. Pena. “The Company’s iconic brands – including AstroTurf, SYNLawn, Polytan, Rekortan, and Laykold – have shaped the sports and recreational landscape for decades. “I look forward to working closely with our talented global team of more than 2,600 associates to build on this strong foundation, delivering exceptional value to our customers through quality, innovation, and service.”
Sport Group extends its thanks to outgoing CEO Christoph von Nitzsch for his leadership and contributions to the Company.
For more information about AstroTurf and its innovative turf solutions, please visit astroturf.com.
About AstroTurf® Corporation
AstroTurf® Corporation is the original inventor and innovator of synthetic sports surfacing, leading the industry for 60 years. Known for pioneering surfacing solutions, AstroTurf® Corporation delivers cutting-edge products focused on performance, safety, and sustainability.
The company’s portfolio includes AstroTurf® fields, the trusted name in synthetic turf; Rekortan® tracks, the benchmark for elite running surfaces; Laykold® courts, the premier choice for tennis and multi-sport court play; and SYNLawn®, the industry leader in residential and commercial landscaping solutions. These products are the original brands in their respective categories and set the standard for quality and innovation in sports and recreational surfacing.
AstroTurf® is dedicated to creating world-class sports and recreational environments that inspire athletes and elevate communities. For more information, visit astroturf.com.
About Sport Group
Sport Group is a leading designer, manufacturer and installer of artificial surfaces serving the global sports flooring, leisure and landscaping and industrial markets to over 70 countries globally. Headquartered in Burgheim, Germany, the company’s brand portfolio includes AstroTurf® (the iconic brand that invented the industry), Polytan®, SYNLawn®, LigaTurf®, Poligras®, Rekortan®, and Laykold®.
Sport Group is an industry leader in green technologies, pioneering sustainable products and services such as the world’s first carbon neutral soccer turf, the world’s first carbon zero field hockey turf and development of the industry’s first, and only, turf recycling facility capable of recycling EPDM rubber.
The company has approximately 2,400 employees and operates nine vertically integrated manufacturing facilities and 31 distribution centers across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. For additional information about Sport Group, please visit sportgroup-holding.com.
About KPS Capital Partners, LP
KPS, through its affiliated management entities, is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of investment funds with approximately $19.7 billion of assets under management (as of December 31, 2024). For over three decades, the Partners of KPS have worked exclusively to realize significant capital appreciation by making controlling equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries, including basic materials, branded consumer, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and general manufacturing. KPS creates value for its investors by working constructively with talented management teams to make businesses better, and generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness and profitability of its portfolio companies, rather than primarily relying on financial leverage. The KPS Funds’ portfolio companies currently generate aggregate annual revenues of approximately $22.2 billion, operate 222 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries, and have approximately 58,000 employees, directly and through joint ventures worldwide (as of December 31, 2024, pro forma for recent acquisitions). The KPS investment strategy and portfolio companies are described in detail at kpsfund.com.
