BERKELEY - The University of California, Berkeley athletic department announced the promotion of several key staff members within the Athletic Director's Cabinet. Ryan Cobb, MS ATC, Chris Pezman, Ashwin Puri and Jenny Simon-O'Neill have all been elevated to the title of Senior Associate Athletics Director.
 
"We are incredibly thankful for their tireless commitment to the student-athletes, coaches and staff here at Cal and believe these new titles better reflect their leadership in the department." said Director of Athletics Mike Williams.
 
Cobb enters his 13th year with Cal Sports Medicine this year, taking on the role of Senior Associate Athletics Director -- Performance, Health and Welfare. In addition to serving as the sport administrator for the men's gymnastics, men's rowing and men's water polo programs. He is also a member of the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Committee. Among his recent accomplishments, Cobb has developed new concussion protocols for the department, including a unique collaboration with the School of Optometry to study the relationship between vision and head injuries.
 
Pezman will be Cal's Chief Operating Officer and Senior Associate Athletics Director -- Facilities, Operations and Events Management. Pezman, who oversees the Golden Bear football program, has also delivered several on-time enhancements to Haas Pavilion, including a new scoreboard and sound system, managed multiple aspects of the football program's recent travel to Australia for the Sydney Cup and was instrumental in securing the Sydney Cup, our new apparel partnership and the men's basketball team's game versus San Diego State this November at the new Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
 
Puri will serve as Senior Associate Athletics Director -- Revenue Generation, Sales and Service, in addition to his title of Chief Revenue Officer. Puri has also taken on oversight of Creative Services, Marketing, and Fan Experience and serves as the sport administrator for men's basketball, men's soccer and lacrosse. Over the past year, he led efforts to sign a new apparel agreement with Under Armour and a new multimedia rights partnership with Learfield that will add significant new revenue for the department.
 
Simon-O'Neill has been elevated to the title of Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).  She manages the department's compliance with Title IX and oversees sport administration with direct oversight of women's basketball, women's rowing, field hockey, women's golf and women's swimming & diving, and will take on oversight of Athletics Communications. A member of the Pac-12 Council, Simon-O'Neill was recently elected Vice President of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Board of Stewards.