Major League Pickleball Announces Additions to Leadership Team

Major League Pickleball by Margaritaville has named Julio DePietro has its next chief executive officer as Brian Levine will move from the interim CEO role into a strategic advisor position at the league.

DePietro will oversee the continued overall business development of MLP. DePietro was a part owner of the Florida Smash, where he lobbied for and ultimately introduced a geographic connection for his team, a concept that has since been adopted league-wide. DePietro began his professional journey in finance after graduating from Harvard at Citadel Investment Group, becoming a partner at the age of 28. He then transitioned into the independent film industry, where he wrote, directed and produced a number of films.

Also announced by MLP was Chief Operating Officer Bruce Popko. Popko was most recently the chief operating officer for both the Buffalo Bills and Sabres with Pegula Sports & Entertainment. Previous to Buffalo, Bruce worked with IMG, where he was a senior vice president following a role as director of sales and business development for IMG Golf. DePietro and Popko will collaborate with Levine and another strategic advisor, Anne Worcester.

“The additions of Julio and Bruce signify another landmark step forward in the evolution of Major League Pickleball,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuhn. “They both bring an incredible pedigree, leadership ability, and valued perspective to MLP and the sport of pickleball. I know that their collective insights and experience will help us rapidly accelerate MLP’s continued growth and the overall popularization of the sport.”