YMU Group, a transatlantic talent management firm, has signed pro surfer Stephanie Gilmore.
Gilmore, who began surfing professionally at 17, is an eight-time World Surf League women’s World Champion and has competed in the Olympics. She was honored as the Surfers’ Hall of Fame’s youngest-ever inductee in 2010 at 22.
She is presently ranked first in the WSL and hopes to compete in the Olympics in 2024.
Gilmore is a surfer, an environmentalist, and a supporter of mental health. She founded the Rising Tides Foundation to advocate for women in the surf and is also a photographer and musician.
The group’s LA-based executive manager, Alex Frankel, will represent Gilmore in film, entertainment, publishing, IP and brand development, live events, marketing, digital and social strategy, and Web3. Frankel will also collaborate with Gilmore’s manager, sister Whitney Gilmore, and Nikki Craig of NC Management to monitor Gilmore’s surfing and Olympic goals.
“I met Steph in 2009 when I played at Australia’s ‘Big Day Out’ music festival,” Frankel explained. “Since then, it’s been a delight to see her become an eight times world surfing champion and Olympic athlete – as well as to use her platform to demand fair pay for female sports. It goes without saying, but it’s an honour to represent Stephanie in this next chapter, which will include literature, film, music, brand endorsements, and whatever else she can think of. I gladly welcome Steph on behalf of the entire YMU team and can’t wait to add value to her already impressive career.”
YMU has offices in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington. Its 350+ executives represent a portfolio of talent in entertainment, sports, art, music, and much more, including Simon Cowell, Steve Aoki, and Tom Daley.