Ronald Bension

Former President and CEO, ASM Global

Ron Bension served as President and CEO of the world’s largest private management company, ASM Global, from 2021-2024. ASM’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 325 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues. Bension reorganized the company after a merger with AEG, hired an all-new management team, and over the next three years, doubled the EBITDA. Culminating in 2024, when Bension engineered the sale of the company for a sector record of $2.4 billion.

Previously, Bension was President of Venue Nation for Live Nation. There he oversaw the growth and operation of over 160 clubs, theaters and amphitheaters around the US, creating the largest live venue platform in the world, with over 18,000 events and 25 million guests a year. Prior to this role, Bension was CEO of TicketsNow, turning the company profitable while working with the team at Ticketmaster to restructure the resale sites operations and business initiatives. During his more than 50-year career, he has led several major e-commerce, recreation, and entertainment companies to financial and strategic success.

In 2000, Bension held the CEO role at Tickets.com, where he restructured the publicly traded online ticketing technology and service provider. He helped raise more than $20 million in new capital, installed a marquee management team, and integrated 11 acquired companies. In 2005, Bension sold Tickets.com to Major League Baseball. After the sale, he took on the CEO role at WMG's Sportnet, the leading developer and publisher of action sports websites in the country.

Bension served as Chairman and CEO of Universal Studios Recreation Group from 1990-1996, where he oversaw the $1 billion revenue global leisure recreation company through its $4 billion expansion program in Hollywood, Orlando and Osaka, Japan. After Universal, Bension moved to President and CEO of Sega GameWorks, a multi-unit, location-based entertainment company founded by Steven Spielberg. During Bension’s three years at the company's helm, he engineered a dramatic increase in the number of venues, revenue and profitability. Bension was honored for his achievements with the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1999.

Bension currently serves on the Board of Directors at Merlin Entertainment, where he also serves as a Strategic Advisor to the CEO and is a Trustee at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. He holds a BS in criminal justice from California State University, Los Angeles.