Two recently appointed leaders of Delaware North’s Sportservice business – Tom Barney and Adrian Dishington – were profiled this month in Sports Business Journal (SBJ) and Buffalo Business First, respectively. Together, their stories highlight both the company’s deep bench of homegrown talent and its ability to attract global hospitality expertise to Buffalo.
Tom Barney featured in Sports Business Journal
In an interview with Sports Business Journal, Barney reflected on his three-decade Delaware North journey and his excitement about stepping into the role of president of Sportservice.
“I walked over and said I could totally do this job and would like to be considered for it,” he told SBJ. “The response was, ‘great, we were thinking about you for it.’”
For the Buffalo native, the promotion marks a return to his roots.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Barney said, noting his early-career role as a senior financial analyst with Sportservice in the late 1990s.
He described his Delaware North career – spanning corporate finance and roles in the travel, parks, gaming and Patina Group businesses – as a pyramid in which every stop added a building block of experience. His mindset, he told SBJ, is always about moving forward:
“In finance, you close the quarter or the year, or the loan. My mindset is, what’s the next best play from here?”
Barney emphasized his commitment to carrying Sportservice’s legacy forward.
“It’s a 115-year-old company, and you get the opportunity to run it for your leg and then you move it to the next guy. But don’t lose the consistency and values that we’ve brought for decades,” he said.
Adrian Dishington profiled in Buffalo Business First
Buffalo Business First (BBF) featured Adrian Dishington, who joined Delaware North as chief operating officer of Sportservice in October 2025 after more than 20 years in global sports and entertainment hospitality. In taking the role, Dishington moved from Seattle to Buffalo, where Delaware North is headquartered.
“The great thing about moving to Buffalo, for me, is I’m in the middle of the organization,” he told BBF. “We can make change, we can do it quickly, we’ve got the buy-in, and so far this has been a great place to live.”
Dishington’s career has taken him from the Scottish coast to cruise ships built in Italy and Japan, to leadership roles at major West Coast and Pacific Northwest venues. His passion for sports hospitality remains a driving force:
“You can’t beat it,” he said. “There’s just something about sports rivalry. It’s unreplaceable.”
He and his wife have now settled into their new home in Clarence, N.Y., embracing Western New York life.
“You’ve got no traffic,” he said. “I love the architecture of the city. Everybody talks to you.”
Dishington told BBF that taking risks has shaped his career – and that joining Delaware North felt like the right next step.
“I’ve always said to people who asked for advice that you’ve got to take the risk… Just put the effort in and enjoy it and give it everything you’ve got.”