MOORESVILLE — Teresa Earnhardt, chief executive officer of Dale Earnhardt Inc., announced recently the appointment of Max Siegel as president of global operations.

In what will be an unprecedented move for the motor sports industry, the Zomba Label Group/Sony/BMG executive will oversee marketing, promotion, sales, sponsorship and distribution for all Dale Earnhardt Inc. properties, including the company’s top-rated motorsports teams, airlines, licensing and auto dealership, as well as the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.

Siegel brings more than 15 years of deal brokering and project management experience to the company established by Dale and Teresa Earnhardt in 1980.

“Max Siegel has the intuitive sense of what works and is innovative in an ever-changing business and social climate,” said Teresa Earnhardt. “We are excited about him joining our team and what his leadership means for the future of Dale Earnhardt Inc.”

“I am honored by this opportunity, and though I have enjoyed great success in the music business, I am thrilled to join this dynamic organization,” said Siegel. “Dale Earnhardt Inc. is a company with strong core values and a legacy of excellence in sports and in business, and I look forward to winning more championships with them and working to further cement Dale Earnhardt Inc. as the leader in the motorsports and entertainment industry.”

With an extraordinary track record as an accomplished sports and entertainment attorney, entertainment executive, author and television and film producer, Max Siegel is one of the most influential executives in the entertainment industry. Siegel most recently held dual positions as senior vice president of Sony/BMG’s Zomba Label Group and president of Zomba Gospel, the largest gospel music company in the world.

As part of Sony/BMG’s President’s Council that oversees the company’s global management strategies, Siegel was also on the executive team that produced pop stars like Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake and R. Kelly.

An Indianapolis native and cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School, Siegel has presided over the legal affairs of several Fortune 500 corporations, as well as professional sports, entertainment individuals and organizations. Siegel’s legal expertise and business acumen have afforded him the reputation as a “win-win attorney” among his peers, and he played a major role in the shaping of such sports figures as Tony Gwynn and Reggie White. His legal knowledge has earned him the opportunity to serve in various leadership positions within high-profile professional organizations such as The American Bar Association, The New York and Indiana State Bar Association, Gospel Heritage Foundation and The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Dale Earnhardt Inc., (DEI) based in Mooresville, employs more than 300 people in its state-of-the-art headquarters. DEI owns a NASCAR Busch team and three NASCAR Nextel Cup racing teams, featuring drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Paul Menard and Martin Truex Jr. The team has amassed more than 100 wins and has won six NASCAR Championships, as well as three Daytona 500’s.

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation is the cornerstone of the Dale Earnhardt Legacy Program and will carry on Dale’s name and good works through charitable causes he supported during his lifetime, including those in the children’s and educational areas, as well as wildlife preservation.