Sphere Entertainment has hired Karen Laureano Ricardsen as global head of corporate marketing and communications.
She will oversee promotional efforts as chief publicist for Sphere, the Las Vegas-based venue that includes Darren Aronofsky’s sci-fi docs “Postcards from Earth,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and the upcoming “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
“Throughout my career, I have worked with global organizations to develop communications strategies that enhance their corporate reputations and drive business growth and meaningful engagement with their audiences,” Laureano-Rickardsen said in a statement. “Sphere is a unique company at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and live entertainment. I look forward to working with its talented team of creatives, engineers, technologists, and business leaders to drive the company’s continued expansion.”
Ms. Laureano-Rikardsen will be based in New York and will report to Jennifer Koester, Sphere’s president and chief operating officer.
“As we continue to expand Sphere’s presence and deliver the next generation of immersive entertainment experiences to audiences around the world, it is important that we continue to tell our stories in compelling and impactful ways,” Kester said in a statement. “Karen brings a powerful combination of global communications experience, sound judgment and proven leadership in high-profile environments. She will play a key role in shaping how we communicate our vision and innovation.”
Laureano-Rikardsen comes from the financial world. She spent nine years at Cantor Fitzgerald, where she served as chief communications and marketing officer for the parent company and its publicly traded affiliates, BGC Group and Newmark Group. In that role, she built and led a global communications and marketing organization, advised C-level executives, and managed high-profile corporate reputational issues, crisis communications, financial communications, and global brand strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior management communications and marketing positions at financial and public relations firms including Credit Suisse, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Hill & Knowlton.
Production on “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is scheduled for 2027. Sphere recently announced that The Wizard of Oz, an immersive reinterpretation of the 1939 classic, has grossed more than $400 million and sold more than 3 million tickets since its August 2025 release.
