ProTeam Lotto Soudal reinforces its team with Yana Seel
Lotto Soudal continues to build on its project and welcomes a new talent to the team next year as Yana Seel will be incorporated into the management. The 37-year-old Seel, born in Kazakhstan, became the first female Managing Director in the WorldTour at Team Astana Premier Tech, a position she has held for three years. The young Belgian now opts for a new challenge within the Belgian Lotto Soudal cycling team. She will work under the guidance of CEO John Lelangue as Chief Business Officer, a role which had not yet been filled in at the team. In this management function, Seel will primarily be responsible for Business Development, Marketing, Communication and Finance. This for the WorldTour, women’s and U23 team of Lotto Soudal.
“I am delighted that we can welcome Yana Seel at the team”, says John Lelangue, CEO at Lotto Soudal. “Yana has three years of experience as Managing Director within a WorldTour team and her expertise will undoubtedly be of added value to us. We were looking for a reinforcement on a position which had not been filled in yet. So we created the management function of Chief Business Officer with the aim of strengthening the team around the team.”
“In this management position – which mainly consists of three pillars – Yana will always report directly to me. The most important pillar is Business Development and Marketing: Yana will take the lead on everything related to attracting and retaining sponsors. Furthermore, there’s also an important financial pillar: together with me, Yana will be responsible for the financial reporting towards our Board of Directors. The third pillar is communication, in which Yana will define the strategy and direct the communication team. Creating this position will undoubtedly allow us to work more efficiently. As a CEO, I will be able to focus more on the general management of the project and our ‘core-business’: sports and performance. I am convinced that Yana will be an important asset to the team and that way, we keep building the long-term future.”
Yana Seel is also looking forward to a new adventure within the cycling world and explains her choice for Lotto Soudal.
Yana Seel: “First of all, it is a big honour for me to be part of a team like Lotto Soudal. I have been following the team for quite a while and I always feel an enormous passion and warm feeling when I think of Lotto Soudal. Moreover, it is one of the oldest cycling teams of the peloton with a big tradition and continuity. Even though I was born in Kazakhstan, I primarily feel Belgian. So Lotto Soudal kind of feels like coming home. But at the same time, I realise that being part of a team with such a tradition entails a big responsibility. I want to give the best of myself working for the team.”
“I was ready for a new challenge and had several options, but I immediately felt a connection with Lotto Soudal and CEO John Lelangue. We share the passion for cycling and we have a clear vision for the future. Within the function of Chief Business Officer, I will mainly be responsible for Business Development & Marketing. In this position I will – always in consultation - lighten the work of CEO John Lelangue in the marketing and communications area. This will allow him to focus more on the general and sports management aspect of the team in order to work more efficiently. As a professional, I obviously want to add certain things and I am convinced that I will be contributing my share to one of the most respected teams within the cycling peloton. But of course, I can also still learn a lot from the team. I cannot wait to get this new adventure with Lotto Soudal started!”, concludes Yana Seel.
