Buffalo Bills, Sabres Name Pete Guelli New COO

Rochester native Pete Guelli will be taking over financial operations for both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

The Buffalo Bills made a different kind of free agent acquisition on Tuesday, announcing the hiring of Pete Guelli as chief operating officer. Guelli will serve in the same role with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, another property of Bills owner Terry Pegula. 

"I just want to thank Terry and the Pegula family for this incredible opportunity," Guelli said in a statement on the Bills' website. "I know the importance of these franchises to the market and understand the responsibility that comes with this role. I am looking forward to getting to work and becoming part of the community again."

Denny Medley, USA TODAY SPORTS

Appropriately, the 59-year-old Guelli hails from Rochester and previously served as the Bills' senior vice president of business ventures (1998-2009). Under his watch, the Bills took on a larger role in The Flower City, spearheading the training camp shift to St. John Fisher University. 

Beyond Western New York, Guelli also held front office roles with the New York Giants and Charlotte Hornets, working his way up to the latter's COO post after joining the team when his original Bills tenure ended. Under the watch of team owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan, Guelli played a major role in the Charlotte franchise's return to the beloved Hornets branding after the city returned to the NBA as an expansion team named the Bobcats.

"It was hard not to be impressed with the experience and overall business acumen of Pete Guelli," Pegula said in the same statement. "The New York market is the largest in our country and highly competitive and he did an outstanding job on all levels of their business operation."

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"His work in helping turn around the Charlotte Hornets franchise in the NBA was remarkable. He is a proven leader with tremendous skills and experience in the sports business landscape. With the upcoming changes on the way in both team's venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams."