ivy sports symposium-sportspro 10 next class of 2012

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Yao WilliamsSenior Account Executive, Global Marketing Partnerships, National Basketball Association (NBA)

What his nominators said about him:“Yao has exemplified leadership in the office along with a dedicated passion to help others achieve their goals.”

Age: 28Location: New York, USAEducation: BA from Miami University; MA in sports management from Cleveland State University

Having graduated with a Masters degree in the subject from Cleveland State University, Yao Williams

already has an impressive history in a variety of sports management positions. From university, he joined the Cleveland Indians MLB team before moving to Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise, cutting his teeth in sales in the team’s ticketing department. He joined the New York Yankees in November 2010 in a premium sales post, generating US$2.6 million in new business and ranking first in renewals, and joined the NBA’s global marketing partnerships department in May 2012. Williams is involved in the Kappa League and is a mentor at the Manhattan Sports Business Academy.

Landmark moment of your career so far?At the Charlotte Bobcats, where I learned how to really sell. I think that most importantly it taught me to work hard and to follow the process and then we were pretty much destined for success. The NBA prides itself on its best practices, in regard to selling in a certain way, going through a certain process, but also culturally, such as not wearing red and black shirts to work and doing very conservative things to ensure that you’re successful, whether it’s in the office or out of the office.

Sports industry idol?Greg Economou, executive vice president of revenue performance for Madison Square Garden. He’s done an excellent job of moving up the ladder by really adding value wherever he’s landed. Beyond his career, he’s done an excellent job of developing young leaders in regards to really being able to figure out what they’re really great at and helping them maximise on that opportunity. Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?The Yankees, mainly because they set the bar so high. No other team has won

27 world championships and it’s just a standard of winning: win the World Series or it’s a failure of a season. It’s a lot of pressure but it allows you to rise to the occasion at times. Ohio State Buckeyes is my team. I’m from Ohio and we’re a football state, but the Browns and the Bengals haven’t been too good. So I’m more of a college fan than anything. Athlete: Kevin Durant. He’s young, humble and does his job extremely well. Brand: Nike. I try to live by the motto ‘just do it’. I think it’s very simple but it’s really ingrained into my way of living.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?Overall, helping brands maximise revenue on an international scale, along with teaching in some capacity.

One piece of advice to someone looking to start out in the industry?Really stay hungry. Be a sponge and develop a road map for success; a lot of times people want to be the president or want to be a VP or want to be a senior director or want to be in community relations or sponsorships or whatever category or group or department but they truly don’t know what it takes to get there. Figure that out.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?Team iPhone.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?Facebook, but I only use it for personal reasons.

Moët or Bud?Moët.

One particular line you use to close a deal?I guess that’s the beauty of conceptual selling, I really don’t have a particular line. I just listen to a brand’s challenges and needs and provide value by aligning our brand and assets with their key objectives.


An elite-level gymnast in her youth, Lex Chalat has spent the last four years building Beyond Sport into one of

the most influential organisations in the sport-for-good space. As executive director of the London-based entity, which is now chaired by former British prime minister Tony Blair, Chalat is a driving force behind the organisation of the Beyond Sport Awards and the Beyond Sport Summit, events which raise millions of dollars of support annually for projects around the world and provide a meeting place for the various stakeholders within the movement. Chalat has played a crucial role in Beyond Sport’s ability to forge crucial partnerships with key players in the sports industry in recent years, with MLB, MLS, Nascar, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, and the WNBA all having signed up.

Before moving to London to study for her Masters, she was managing editor and an award-winning columnist at two newspapers in Philadelphia, and has written regularly on a wide range of topics for magazines and publications including the New Yorker.She currently sits on the advisory boards for PBS Colorado and the Urban Soccer Collaborative, and provides extensive pro bono consulting to sport for social change projects around the globe on a regular basis.

Landmark moment of your career so far?I have to say this summer. We had our most recent annual summit where we gather leaders from around the world to talk about how sport can address social issues and we actually got Muhammad Ali and David Beckham to award a young 19-year-old boy who was nominated by his organisation to receive our first ever Generation Ali Beyond

Alexandra ChalatExecutive Director, Beyond Sport, and Head of Social Innovation, Benchmark Sport International

What her nominators said about her:“Alexandra has played a vital role in Beyond Sport’s development over the past four years, leading a huge amount of its work on a day-to-day basis.”

Age: 29Location: London, UKEducation: Graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania before gaining a Masters in Media and Communications Research from the London School of Economics

Sport Award for overcoming adversity through sport. And he’s actually a refugee from Afghanistan who fled here after the Taliban killed most of his family, and he joined a cricket club and he now works as a translator for the cricket club. It’s a really cool story. That was amazing to see him celebrated by such a high-profile group of people – Muhammad Ali and David Beckham – in front of a global audience. It was very cool.

Sports industry idol? Julie Foudy. She’s a two-time football World Cup winner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and former president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and basically an all-round totally kick-ass woman.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?I guess I’ll have to say the Philadelphia Eagles.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? Hopefully in a position where I’m overseeing a much larger pot of support and funding to be able to provide

projects around the world with capacity-building and business support so they can create more change in their communities and work more effectively.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?Take an internship and make yourself indispensable.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?Blackberry, 100 per cent, and I hope they don’t go under.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare? Professionally I’d say Twitter and personally I’d say Facebook.

Moët or Bud?That’s not fair. Can I do an alternative? Whisky.

One particular line you use to close a deal?Only TV things are coming into my mind right now. I’d say something very simple like, ‘Let’s work together’, or something like that.


Ultra-connected agent Jason Belzer signed his first client at the tender age of 20. The Rutgers law

graduate has already co-founded his own company, CSA, which consults top-level college athletic departments on compliance and student-athlete welfare, come to run another, Global Athlete Management Enterprises, and been asked back to Rutgers as an adjunct professor. Belzer is the executive director of the Jewish Coaches Association.

Landmark moment of your career so far?From a landmark perspective, I think it’s something that repeats itself every year at the end of the College Insider Postseason Tournament, the CIT, that I run. You go through three weeks of craziness to see the final team coming down the nets during the championship game and see the kids up on the ladder crying in happiness for what they’ve achieved. That’s why I’m in the business – to create, not only an incredible event that’s based around sports, but also to provide these types of moments for people to experience.

Sports industry idol?It’s more from the entertainment perspective as an agent, but I would say Jerry Weintraub. Because Jerry is another kid from Brooklyn who basically started from nothing with no connections to the entertainment business and was able to hustle his way to the very, very top. It shows that you don’t have to have any kind of resources or relationships or connections, there’s nothing you can’t do yourself, can’t build it out yourself.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport? I would say SEC Football. Not necessarily because I root for the teams, but because of the way that all the teams from those conferences have established a winning tradition and a system that has created not only phenomenal profits but has created incredible programmes and continues to absolutely dominate their sport like no other sport in the world. There’s no conference or division of any sport on any level in the world that wins as consistently as SEC Football.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?The loaded question! I think I see myself out of running my own company and maybe moving into working for another organisation or leading a major player in the college sporting world, whether that’s as a conference commissioner or the head of a larger agency that oversees various aspects of college sports.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry? In the sport business, or in any industry, nothing prevents you from walking into a room and acting like you have already achieved something in your career, no matter how young you are. And so it’s all about the way you carry yourself and present yourself to people, because you can convince anyone of anything if you know what you’re talking about.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?iPhone.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or FourSquare?Twitter.

Moët or Bud?Neither. Patrón (tequila).

One particular line you use to close a deal?I’ve actually used this line from one of my very first sales and I’ve used it since, I tell people, ‘Right now you’re making 100 per cent of nothing, and I’m willing to make you 80 per cent of something. Unless you have money growing on a tree, you can’t afford to say no.’

Jason BelzerEntrepreneur, and sports and entertainment attorney

What his nominators said about him:“Jason is far and away one of the most influential people I have met in the industry. I have learned an innumerable number of lessons in the short time that I’ve known him.”

Age: 26Location: New Jersey, USAEducation: Double majored at Rutgers University before earning a law degree from Rutgers Law School.


Having joined her home town MLB team as a corporate sales intern in 2003, Caitlin Moyer

has worked her way through the ranks to her current position of senior manager of advertising and marketing, impressing colleagues and managers on her way. Her work on a recent Brewers season ticket renewal campaign particularly caught the eye, achieving a 12 per cent response rate and helping to recover over US$1 million in lost revenue for the club.

Moyer’s passion for her team extends to her town and she is an active member of the Milwaukee community, where she is a certified tourism ambassador and a member of the marketing committee for Visit Milwaukee.

Landmark moment of your career so far? Being selected as one of the 10 NEXT. Also, I would say that some of my greatest achievements so far are being the co-author of the John and Cait Plus Nine blog, which consistently ranks in the top ten of all of the Major League Baseball blogs, and also assisting in developing a season ticket renewal campaign for which our club won the honour of the 2011 Sammy at the National Sports Forum.

Sports Industry idol?Bill Veeck, the Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter, who was known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. His autobiography, Veeck – As In Wreck, was influential to me early in my career and I always try to approach my job with as much enthusiasm and passion as I understood him to possess.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?The Brewers, of course, and I’m also a huge golf fan. Freddie Couples was my favourite player growing up and a

big reason why I enjoy watching and playing golf today so I was really glad to see him get elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame recently, and I also think that Nike is continuing to do great things in the sport.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?Hopefully working with people that inspire me and continuing to progress in the marketing field. I see myself in a more senior marketing or social media role, probably managing platforms that haven’t even been thought of yet. And maybe I’ll even be one of the ones to think of the next big thing!

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?What I always tell students, regardless of what they’re interested in, is: find out what you love and then find out a way to get paid to do it. So when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life I zeroed in on sports because that had always been my passion. So sports paired with my interest and talent in marketing led me to my current role.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?iPhone

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?I am on all of them. But I’ll have to say Twitter is my favourite at the moment.

Moët or Bud?I’ll have to say Miller Lite, being that we, the Brewers, are at Miller Park.

One particular line you use to close a deal?Well, there’s not really one line for me, it’s not really about closing deals so much as it is about creating lasting partnerships. But no matter who I’m talking to or what the situation is, I always make sure to say, ‘Thank you for your time.’ I’m really a big believer that a little bit of thanks goes a long way.

What her nominators said about her:“She is a star, and perhaps the brightest, most creative, passionate, and enthusiastic colleague I have ever had the pleasure of working with in sports.”

Age: 29Location: Milwaukee, USAEducation: Graduated with a BA cum laude from Marquette University, College of Communication in Milwaukee

Caitlin MoyerSenior Manager of Advertising and Marketing, Milwaukee Brewers


Angelo SolomitaVice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Radegen Sports Management

Angelo Solomita is one of the youngest of this year’s 10 NEXT class but he proved his worth to his employers a

long time ago. Having impressed Alex Radetsky by the fact he had completed his bachelor’s degree, law degree, and MBA in just six years, Solomita was given the keys to Radetsky’s company, Radegen Sports Management, last year at the tender age of 24 when Radetsky went on honeymoon. The company was in the midst of a large settlement negotiation and closing a huge event, but Solomita was able to handle the workload flawlessly.

Landmark moment of your career so far? The landmark moment in my career thus far was when we closed out the

Fuse Science deal for David Ortiz. It was my first official negotiation as a lawyer. You go through years of law school and do as much studying as you want, but there comes that point where you have to turn that into action and that was the moment for me. Sports industry idol? One is Tim Brosnan, at Major League Baseball. He’s the EVP of business there but he’s the one who’s behind the scenes getting a lot of the things done – the TV deals, the new MLB Fan Cave, things like that. And he’s a lawyer that’s sort of moved over to the business side which is something that I’m trying to do in my career. Another is the president of our company, Alex Radetsky. I’ve know Alex for five years, since he was at SFX Baseball. And the one other person: Rand Sacks who’s a sports lawyer in Washington DC. He’s been a mentor for me. He’s been the guy I can go to when I have questions and he’s been my legal mentor.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport? I’m going to have to go with David Ortiz, who’s one of our clients. He really has taken it beyond just baseball, whether it’s with his children’s fund, or David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic, Big Papi’s Kitchen – he has his own food line – he’s become bigger than just the baseball player.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? I hope to still be here with Radegen Sports Management. We’re in a growth phase now. We started off just as sports marketing agency and we’ve been branching off into a lot of different areas recently. We represent some broadcasters, we do their broadcast deals, we have a AAA manager, we now do his on-field contract, we’re starting to do some corporate consulting for different brands, and we’re also helping a lot of our clients manage their charitable efforts.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry? Take every opportunity that you can while you can. In college I used to joke that I was the professional intern – any opportunity I would jump at and I think it’s important just to be able to get as many different experiences under your belt while you can in college, while you still have to decide where and what you want to do. And then make the most of those opportunities. Whether it’s getting there early, meeting as many people as you can and leaving an impression. I see a lot of times people will volunteer for something, they’ll go and go through the motions and it’ll just be something to put on their résumé, but I think it makes a big difference when you’re there if you try and make the most out of that experience.

iPhone, Blackberry or Android?iPhone. I don’t know what I’d do without it. In this industry especially.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare? Twitter. For me and also for clients and athletes.

It’s something that we encourage all of our athletes to use. I think it’s a great tool to be able to connect directly with the fans and really be able to own your own image.

Moët or Bud?Bud. Bud and a baseball game, not too much better than that.

One particular line you use to close a deal?From the legal aspect of it, it’s when the deal’s done: ‘OK, now we can go back to being friends.’ Going through the contracts, it’s never fun, and you kind of pitch yourself against who your partner’s going to be down the road so it’s one of those things where when it’s done, it’s done, and now we can go back to being friends.

What his nominators said about him:“Angelo is one of the hardest-working people I’ve come to meet and has been a vital part of the success of Radegen Sports Management at a relatively young age.”

Age: 25Location: New York, USAEducation: BS in Sports Management from New York University, a law degree from Villanova University School of Law, and an MBA from Villanova University


Having started strongly as an intern in the corporate sales hothouse that was Brett Yormark’s Nascar, Dan

Weinberg worked for Beach Tennis USA and Elite Marketing Group before joining Tough Mudder, a growing endurance sport series, in March 2011. There, he conceived and built a partnership marketing and sales department from scratch, and has since snared the likes of Under Armour, Camelbak, Samsung, and Campbell. The Under Armour deal, which took seven months to complete, was a key achievement and moved Tough Mudder into a different category of sports property. Away from work, Weinberg assists non-profit organisation Music Brings Life, which raises awareness around blood donations, often selling sponsorship for its charity concerts on a pro bono basis.

Landmark moment of your career so far? I don’t know if there’s one moment I would say probably looking back right now at what we built at Tough Mudder, especially on the sponsorship platform and what we’ve done globally. A year and a half ago we had two partners and now we have 23. Honestly, in the early days anytime we got one little deal it was the happiest day of our lives, so now I guess

it’s just looking back seeing the collection of some of the best partners we have.

Sports industry idol? I would say my sports industry idol would definitely be Will Dean, Tough Mudder CEO. Just because from the entrepreneurial side of what he’s been able to accomplish, having no sports industry background and then really having the opportunity to provide for all his employees and just the backing and the confidence he gives to all of us. I would say, I have had the privilege of working for some great CEOs in sports business since I was an intern years ago, but I think I’ve been most impressed by Will and his ability of coming into the events-based, the endurance-based sports business space with no previous background at such a young age. Will is only 31 years old.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?I would say definitely the Brooklyn Nets. I was a ball boy for them in high school and I was an intern for Brett Yormark, the current CEO, at Nascar years ago, so I would say I just love what they’ve done with the rebranding, and they’ve got some great partners in Brooklyn and they have an unbelievable brand. Athletes:

I would say I’m pretty impressed with Shaun White and the kind of deals he has done. You know he has some great backing, he’s built a great brand in the action sports stage so I’d probably say Shaun White, the snowboarder.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? Ten years… I’d like to hopefully be the CEO or president of a pro team or running my own entrepreneurial sports agency.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?I would say just be patient and be prepared to get knocked down a few times and be resilient, and good things will come. But it definitely takes time and patience.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android? iPhone.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?Facebook.

Moët or Bud? Bud.

One particular line you use to close a deal?I wish I had one line. It’s usually me nervously standing by the phone waiting for a decision, for days. I don’t have a magic bullet line unfortunately so I wish I had a better answer.

Dan WeinbergDirector, Strategic Partnerships and Licensing, Tough Mudder

What his nominators said about him:“Starting from scratch, Weinberg built out a partnership marketing and sales department at Tough Mudder, which, in one year, has successfully brought on 24 global partners.”

Age: 29Location: New York, USA Education: BA degree in marketing and communications from West Virginia University


Brian Gainor’s award-winning blog and newsletter, Partnership Activation, won him fans across the

industry. Having worked in PR with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then NFL Europe, he launched his best-practice blog just before joining GMR Marketing in May 2007. At GMR, Gainor managed numerous consumer sports sponsorships, including Lowe’s various multi-million dollar partnerships, as well as, latterly, Comcast’s digital work in football. Partnership Activation has also added Partnership Activation Rising Stars, a scheme designed to recognise up-and-coming sports executives and encourage them to network together.

In July this year, Gainor took up a new role at Freshwire, a joint venture between

GMR Marketing and Fleishman-Hillard.Gainor is an increasingly frequent speaker at sports business conferences.

Landmark moment of your career so far? From a personal standpoint, going through the Ohio University Sports administration programme really allowed me to build a foundation and a network for me to have a successful career in sports. From a professional standpoint I’d say the launch of Freshwire is game-changing. As teams and brands alike realise the need to position themselves more so as media companies and produce content on a regular basis, we’re delivering the content strategy and creation and syndication solutions for them.

Sports industry idol? To be honest, I truly admire the careers and passions of all the Partnership Activation Rising Stars, a group that I started that includes future leaders making a difference in the sports industry. If there’s anyone, I’d probably focus on them. I don’t really have a single individual that I guess I really aspire to.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?As a graduate of the University of Florida I’m a huge Gators fan. In the world of sports business, I’m a huge fan of Manchester City. They’ve been struggling a bit the last couple of weeks but hopefully they can turn some things around. Brands, I’m a huge fan of what Vitamin Water does, as well as Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A. They’re the three brands that I’m a huge fan of.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? I’d say leading a successful sports and content consulting practice, working alongside others that inspire me and raising a great family.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?I always share six key pointers: think of yourself as a brand, build relationships, understand the industry, get experience, learn every day and do the little things that make a big difference.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android? iPhone.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?Facebook for personal use, Twitter for professional use.

Moët or Bud? Honestly neither. I’m a big fan of local Milwaukee craft beers these days but not a fan of either of those.

One particular line you use to close a deal?I always say: ‘Think and act differently. Come up with that next game-changing idea that others in the industry aren’t even thinking about yet.’

Brian GainorFounder, Partnership Activation, and Director, Strategy and Analytics, Freshwire

What his nominators said about him:“It is seemingly on a weekly basis that I’m receiving a request from Brian to speak at some industry event or another, as he has strategically leveraged his experience to be considered an industry thought-leader.”

Age: 29Location: Milwaukee, USAEducation: BA in business marketing from the University of Florida followed by an MBA and an MA in business and sports administration from Ohio University


Since graduating from Quinnipac, Mike Zavodsky has been working his way up through a Nets organisation in a period

of huge transformation. The nine-year project that has taken the NBA team from the boondocks of New Jersey to the bright lights of Brooklyn and the brand new Barclays Center has survived its stumbling blocks to get to its late September opening date through the tirelessness and enthusiasm of employees such as Zavodsky. Starting as an intern to Nets chief executive Brett Yormark in May 2005, Zavodsky was given a full-time role as an account executive before being promoted to director, vice president, and finally senior vice president. He has overseen sales efforts that have brought in a raft of stellar domestic and international partners at the Barclays Center and oversaw the efforts that culminated in the Izod Center, Rutgers Stadium and Quinnipiac University hockey arena naming rights deals. Zavodsky is a regular lecturer at colleges and universities across New York.

Landmark moment of your career so far? It’s got to be Friday, September 28th, the grand opening of the Barclays Center. It’s really for me the culmination of years of strategic planning and work with national and international brands, programmers, industry leaders. I really had the opportunity to work on all facets of the business, from sponsorship to tickets and suites, operations, booking events, marketing; the culmination of all that and it all came together that Friday.

Sports industry idol?Brett Yormark. He gave me a chance as a 21-year-old kid with no experience and he let me shadow him and learn the ins and outs of the business at the highest level.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport? Athlete has got to be Magic Johnson. He’s been a role model for a lot of

people on and off the court and I kind of have a mini shrine of him in my office. Team has got to be, for me, the New York Giants. Anyone that knows me, I’m a diehard fan and I’ve rarely missed a game since going to my first game with my dad when I was four years old. Franchise, I’ve always admired the Minnesota Twins. They’re always competitive and they really draw well through their farm system and they’ve really done a nice job over the years. And brand, I’m going to be biased here: the Nets. We’re the hottest brand in sports right now; it’s cool, it’s hip and the merchandise has really crossed over into fashionable apparel, not just fan apparel, and everywhere I go in New York people are wearing it. I was recently just down in Miami and came across a bunch of people wearing it down there, so it’s really all over the place and it’s really cool and hip.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?Ideally I’d like to be running a team in an arena, helping take a franchise, just like when I got here, and really build the brand; to make it be the ‘it’ building, and a cool brand that people gravitate towards.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry? Networking, networking, and unwavering determination, and be prepared to make sacrifices in order to achieve your end goal, and once again, networking.

iPhone, Blackberry or Android?Blackberry. I know, I know. I still haven’t made the switch but I’m a fan of its functionality and I use my iPad when I need to do some browsing.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Foursquare? I’m a Facebook guy. Although I rarely post anything, I like to keep in the loop of what others are doing.

Moët or Bud?I’m a Bud Light guy.

One particular line you use to close a deal?I have to say the best sales job of my career was closing my now-fiancée on the spot. It was after a Nets vs Heat game on Halloween, and I went to meet some friends at a party and everyone else was in costume and I was in a suit and the line was: ‘You know everyone is checking you out, right?’ And I don’t know how it worked and how I closed that one but it’s worked!

Michael ZavodskySenior Vice President, Corporate Sponsorships, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

What his nominators said about him:“Michael has helped drive the international sales effort for the Barclays Center and the Nets basketball team, consummating sales with companies from China, Russia, and the UK.”

Age: 28Location: New York, USAEducation: Graduated summa cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Business, Connecticut


Jimmy Small has been a Nascar executive since joining the motorsport giant after graduating in 2008. First in Nascar’s offices

in Daytona Beach, and then at the Charlotte headquarters, Small has been an invaluable member of the marketing team, working with teams from all three series and assisting with business case studies of sponsorship programmes given to all Nascar prospects.

Landmark moment of your career so far?I wouldn’t say I really have one, but I’m pretty proud of a sale I made at the beginning of 2012. I sold a one-race Nascar team sponsorship to HBO to promote the season three launch of their show Eastbound & Down. Actor Danny McBride even got involved by designing the paint scheme himself. I’m a huge fan of him and the show, which made it even more special. On top of that, this sponsorship has proven fruitful, as HBO was exposed to the value of a Nascar team sponsorship. We are now working with them on opportunities to promote other shows.

Sports industry idol?John Henry of Fenway Sports Group. I really admire his penchant for a diverse portfolio of sports properties including Roush Fenway Racing, the Boston Red Sox, and Liverpool Football Club. I believe progression is expedited by flattening the boundaries between sports. I also admire his venture in iRacing.com – an official Nascar-sanctioned series!

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?My alma mater: the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They have established the pre-eminent college brand in the world of academics and athletics – a brand that I am proud of as an alumnus.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?The late Mitch Hedberg would have

answered with, ‘Celebrating the ten-year anniversary of you asking me this question!’ Seriously, though, I absolutely love what we’re doing here at Nascar right now, and would like to see myself here to witness the impact our unprecedented Industry Action Plan has had on not only our sport, but across the entire sports landscape.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?Look at this opportunity as a career rather than just a job. Take pride in what you do. Remember that you, yourself, are a brand. Your reputation is your brand’s equity, ambition is your capital, effort is your marketing campaign, and success is your brand’s product.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?Funny you ask that… We actually just released Nascar Sprint Cup Mobile for the iPhone and it offers unequalled access to a sport. The app is also available on Android. I currently have the Sprint iPhone 4S with a wood-grain case manufactured by 3M.

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?Twitter. The access athletes, especially our athletes, provide fans is outstanding. We’re very proud to have Twitter as a digital partner and so happy we’re able to provide our fans the complementary experience to our live event and race broadcast. And the content our drivers have delivered to fans so far is incredible. One of our drivers, Brad Keselowski, actually stashed his phone in his car at the Daytona 500 and was able to tweet out pictures of his point-of-view during a red-flag delay.

Moët or Bud?Silver Bullet. Coors Light, the official beer of Nascar.

One particular line you use to close a deal?‘This is more than a logo on a car or uniform. This is more than a product

placement. This is the opportunity to transcend traditional marketing boundaries and engage with consumers on an incredibly emotional level. This is the unrivalled opportunity to transform your brand into an icon and establish a legacy. This is Nascar.’

Jimmy SmallManager, Industry Marketing, Nascar

What his nominators said about him:“Jimmy is the most passionate person in Nascar for developing the future of the sport, and he is relied upon heavily by his colleagues, peers, and race organisations. I can think of no one else more deserving of this award.”

Age: 26Location: Charlotte, USAEducation: Graduated with a BA in economics from the University of Notre Dame


Sidhartha Mallya is at the forefront of the development of India’s sports industry and, at 25, has already accumulated

a wealth of experience in a variety of sectors. After graduating with a 2:1 in business management from Queen Mary college at the University of London, he took up a position with Diageo, working for the Guinness brand on its rugby union sponsorships, including its title sponsorship of the English Premiership and the 2009 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa. In January 2010, however, he relocated to India, becoming a director of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team owned by his father Vijay.

The Mallyas have a long history in Indian business. Sidhartha’s late grandfather Vittal was on the board of what was United Breweries Limited at the age of 22, eventually assuming control of the company, while Vijay Mallya has been chairman since the age of 28.

Sidhartha Mallya has since taken full control of the day-to-day operations of the Royal Challengers and is responsible for building a long-term strategy for the franchise, one of the original members of the commercially groundbreaking IPL in 2008. “I like to oversee the whole operation,” he told SportsPro in

an interview last year, “but at the same time knowing where to draw the line so I’m not treading on anyone’s toes.”

By placing experts in the correct positions, Mallya has been able to focus on driving the Challengers’ marketing activities. In particular, he has led on a number of pioneering fan engagement projects, notably the team’s ‘Go Green’ initiative. In May the team achieved Mallya’s original aim and became the first carbon-neutral cricket team on the planet.

Aside from his job running one of India’s most popular sports teams, Mallya also retains a position overseeing marketing for United Spirits Limited, a company which includes the Kingfisher and Whyte & Mackay brands. “We’ve got a foot in every pond, if you like, in India,” he said in 2011 of the family operation. “We’ve got a spirits business, a brewing business, a pharmaceuticals business, an airline business, an IT business, a travel business, a resorts business, a media business and sports as well. There’s plenty to chew on.”

Mallya has also become something of a celebrity in India; as at home on the cover of India’s GQ magazine or deep in the nitty-gritty of his latest marketing wheeze, he is one of the brightest prospects in the rapidly developing Indian sports industry.

Landmark moment of your career so far?Successfully making Royal Challengers Bangalore the world’s first carbon-neutral cricket team and the world’s first ever carbon-neutral sports [team] through fan engagement.

Sports industry idol?Lalit Modi.

Favourite franchise/team/athlete/brand in sport?Southampton FC/Andy Roddick/Nike.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?Doing something I enjoy, whatever that may be.

One piece of advice for someone looking to start out in the industry?Expect the unexpected and if you are associated with a sports team, be prepared to experience the high of highs when you win and the low of lows when you lose.

iPhone, Blackberry, or Android?Blackberry, because of BBM!

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Foursquare?Twitter, because you can speak your mind.

Moët or Bud?Bud followed by Moët!

One particular line you use to close a deal?Boom!

Sidhartha MallyaDirector, Royal Challengers Sports and General Manager, Marketing, United Spirits Limited

What his nominators said about him:“At just 25 years of age, Sidhartha Mallya has achieved more than many people aspire to at twice this age.”

Age: 25Location: Bangalore, IndiaEducation: BSc Hons in business management from Queen Mary, University of London

ivy sports symposium-sportspro 10 next class of 2012

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