USA Rugby and Rugby International Marketing have confirmed that RIM CEO David Sternberg is leaving his position and that former USA women's national team player and longtime advertising executive Pam Kosanke is assuming the role of RIM chairman of the board as well as interim CEO.

Kosanke has been serving on the board at RIM. Meanwhile, Peter Seccia and previous chairman Chad Keck are leaving the board, with Mark Lambourne and Jon Bobbett taking their places.

As RIM Board Chairman and interim CEO, Pam Kosanke will immediately assume day-to-day operational duties of the company, including managing the commercial and sponsorship obligations of RIM through to the Board of Directors review in June.

“These changes provide a fresh opportunity for RIM to plan and deliver the next chapter of growth for rugby in the United States in lock step with USA Rugby,” Kosanke said in a statement. “RIM will continue to attract world-class teams to play in the US, with the Wales vs. South Africa fixture in Washington D.C. this June. Additionally, we are committed to delivering a best-in-class Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in San Francisco this Summer.”

Current USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne actually was the one who replaced Keck as chairman of the board of RIM but will now concentrate on USA Rugby operations and support of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.

New RIM leadership has additionally been tasked with conducting a strategic review of RIM, evaluating its operations and activity. The appraisal will be completed in conjunction with a task force recently formed by USA Rugby to review the RIM commercial objectives and strategy. The task force will present its analysis to the USA Rugby Board by June.

Kosanke concluded, “The RIM Board thanks David Sternberg for his hard work and wishes him the best in future endeavors. We now look forward to an exciting few months of international rugby on our home turf.”

— A USA Rugby press release contributed to this report