Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing - a Roth Revenue Podcast

Hey folks… Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, I received a surprise LinkedIn message a couple months ago. It was from Monique Giroux, former head of sponsorship for CIBC and an inductee into the SMCC sponsorship hall of fame. I'd lost touch with Monique over the past few years. I knew she had stepped away from the industry and was vaguely aware she had travelled the world and wrote a book. I had asked Monique to be on my podcast after her hall of fame induction in 2020, but she politely declined. So it was a wonderful surprise to hear from her … and even better when she said she was teaching sponsorship and event marketing at laurentian university and using my podcast as course content. She also expressed an interest in coming on the show, and I couldn't have been more flattered. So here's my chat with Monique - a look back at her career, the partnerships she worked on… including CIBC Run for the Cure and CIBC’s Pan Am Games partnership... her inspiring current chapter, and wonderful professional development advice. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com #sportsbiz #mentorship #sponsorshipmarketing #professionaldevelopment

Every aspect of Christina Litz’s career had prepared her for a call she received from Diana Matheson. Diana – a Canadian soccer legend – knew there was nobody better to help bring her vision of a professional domestic women’s league to life. That vision officially manifested on the pitch on April 16th at BC Place in Vancouver. While the home squad prevailed 1-nil over Calgary Wild FC, that was likely secondary to the culmination of years of planning to launch this vital league. In this episode, you’ll hear about Christina’s incredible path from Lawyer to media exec to sports business leader. How you prep for the launch of a new league - a league that will provide a pathway and a north star for so many girls in this country. From the sport development and player signing side to broadcast and content to marketing. Their mission statement: To become a top 5 league in the world. The story of Farkhunda Muhtaj and her incredible journey from Afghanistan to becoming the first player signed by Calgary Wild FC. The importance of gathering best practices from other women’s sports properties, including Angel City FC. The value of corporate partnerships – including Canadian Tire and the power they have in the women’s sports ecosystem. And some wonderful mentorship stories and professional development advice. Insightful and inspiring. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com. #sportsbiz #mentorship #sponsorshipmarketing #professionaldevelopment #corporatepartnerships #womeninsports

Hey folks, Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing My featured guest is Pierre Arsenault, CEO of U SPORTS. The U SPORTS brand was unveiled on October 20th, 2016, to recognize more than 118 years of history. The organization’s goal is to give student-athletes and national championships the visibility, appreciation and reward they deserve. After an exhaustive search, the board hired Pierre in 2022 to lead the organization. After spending an hour with Pierre, you get the sense they found the right leader. If Pierre chooses to release a memoir about his career in the business of University athletics, my recommended title is: Embrace the Hussle. In this episode, you’ll hear Pierre convey that message along with his mandate and what excites him about the future of university athletics in this country. We also discuss his career journey, his mentors, a few important partnerships and some wonderful professional development advice. Insightful and inspiring. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com #sportsbiz #mentorship #sponsorshipmarketing #professionaldevelopment #corporatepartnerships #studentathletes

Hey folks, Gavin Roth here with another episode of the influencers of sponsorship marketing It’s been about a year since my last episode. Let’s just say, work life has gotten in the way of my passion projects. But thrilled to say I’ve been asked by a number of industry friends when I’ll be releasing new episodes. So here we go. My first guest of the new season is Kathy Henderson of Hockey Canada. If Kathy Henderson were a hockey player, she’d likely be a one of those smart, reliable centres… plays a 200-foot game, back-checks, gets teammates involved…great in the locker room and in the community. You know the type. That’s the vibe I got after spending an hour chatting with her. In September 2023, the devoted hockey mom and high-level sports exec became the first female president and CEO in Hockey Canada’s history. Since then, Kathy has thoughtfully worked with the vast network of stakeholders guiding our treasured game to chart a new course that will ensure hockey becomes more inclusive and safer for all participants at all levels. We discussed Kathy’s career journey and how she pivoted from CPG exec to sports business exec Her mentors and views on mentorship Her mandate at Hockey Canada – much of it summarized in the recently released paper entitled BUILDING THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ HOCKEY We discuss some of her favourite partnerships And she gives fantastic professional development advice. Insightful and inspiring. I left with a sense that hockey is in great hands. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by Homestand Sports – authentically connecting iGaming brands with sports fans wherever they are. For more, visit homestandsports.com. I love talking to athletes. Especially the successful ones. And no, not in a creepy fan-boy way. When you spend time with elite athletes, you can’t help but notice what made them that way – their passion, tenacity, drive, competitiveness, work ethic, self-awareness. Mike Morreale – former CFL star and current Commissioner of the CEBL – checks all those boxes. We caught up just after Labour Day, 3 weeks after the culmination of the CEBL’s 2023 campaign – their most successful to date with expansion to 10 teams and a new broadcast deal with TSN. It was also a few days after the CFL Labour Day Classic between the Argos and Ticats. You see… Mike played (and starred) in his share of Labour Day Classics. He actually suited up for both his hometown Tiger-Cats AND their fierce rivals down the QEW. But this year, he had his feet up at home and enjoyed it on the tube. We talk about his days in the CFL where he won 2 Grey Cups and numerous awards. How being a goalkeeper in soccer prepared him for a 12-year career as a receiver in the league. And how his CFL experiences (both as a player and with the CFLPA) set the foundation for his current role running Canada’s only professional basketball league. Mike shines a light on Richard Petko and Ron Foxcroft – 2 men whose belief and support helped Mike build a successful second career. He takes us into a week in the life of a pro sports commissioner. On the corporate partnership front, we discuss how Mike and his colleagues had to sell a vision to brands before the first basket was scored. And the partnerships that have been - and will be - so instrumental to the league’s success. Including a new one with Canadian data insights firm, StellarAlgo that will help the CEBL engage their fans and partners in a more strategic and effective way. And we wrap with great professional development advice centred around self-awareness and relationships. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by Homestand Sports – authentically connecting iGaming brands with sports fans wherever they are. For more, visit homestandsports.com. For this episode, we head across the pond to Italy. More specifically, to beautiful Turin. And even more specifically, to the headquarters of iconic Juventus FC. I caught up with their Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Mike Armstrong – good Canadian lad who was recruited by the organization 2 years ago. Mike’s career path is super impressive with marketing and strategy roles at leading brands like Kraft, Anhauser-Busch InBev, CBC, Google, and OverActive Media Group. We cover lots of ground in our chat, including his career path, what motivated it and some of the highlights along the way. We spoke about some of the folks who mentored, supported him, and what led to the incredible new opportunity with Juventus and how that decision was made. Mike discussed working in a new culture, learning a new language. We lean in on his mandate at Juventus and how attracting fans to football today differs from previous eras. On that note, Mike shares insights into the newly developed Juventus Creative Lab and some of the cool content coming out of it. He also speaks about some of the innovative new content ventures that have caught his eye – including the work Dan Porter is doing at Overtime, and Julie Urhman at Angel City FC. Plus partnerships he’s noticed with fellow European football giants PSG and FC Barcelona. And we wrap with terrific professional development advice. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com/ Unless you were living under a rock over the past couple of months, you are aware that the WNBA invaded Toronto in May. What you may not have known is the origin story of how that event came to be. We have Leah MacNab’s son to thank in part. Leah shares that story and so much more in this fascinating and wide-ranging chat. We cover how Leah landed a role with the NBA and has worked her way up from coordinator to Senior Vice President & Managing Director. Including an amazing story of what inspired her to pursue a job at the NBA and how she wore down Dan MacKenzie until he eventually hired her. A deep dive into her role and what excites her about the future Her mentors… with a shoutout to … Dan MacKenzie, Stacey Allaster, Cheri Bradish, and her team. Lessons learned in her current role, with a focus on Leah’s growth as a people manager and how that was put to the test during the pandemic. Insights into some of the NBA Canada campaigns, events and partnerships – such as: - The NBA 75th anniversary marketing campaign - NBA Creators presented by Microsoft, shining a light on BIPOC creators - Insights into how and why partners got behind the WNBA game – including Tangerine, DoorDash, Air Canada, Sport Chek & Canada Goose We discuss Canadian Tire’s bold pledge to increase their investment in women’s sport. Plus, the state of women’s sports and how corporate partners are helping build the future we want to see. And we wrap with wonderful professional development advice, including the value of surrounding yourself with diversity of background and of opinion. Leah is dogged, thoughtful, self-aware, humble and very impressive. I particularly love how she prepares for opportunities – whether a new role or a new event. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com/ Spend a few minutes in Alyson Walker’s orbit and you can’t help but be impressed. If I were to distill her many hallmarks down, I’d say Drive, Tenacity, Courage and Smarts. So it should come as no surprise that she has ascended to the Chief Commercial Officer seat at one of the gaming industries most dynamic organizations. Her journey has been full of cool twists and turns, including a stint in the travel sector, and stops at CHUM, the 2010 Olympic Media Consortium, the COC and MLSE. We were colleagues on the 2010 games where I often relied on Alyson to help sell through digital content integration opportunities to the likes of Bell, McDonald’s, GM, Purolator and more. We cover lots of ground in our chat, including: How Alyson landed a role with the 2010 Olympic Media Consortium and how she was part of a dynamic team that drove innovation in digital content and sponsor integration. Her mentors – shoutout to Chris Overholt, Maryann Turke and Stacey Allaster (great story btw of how she pursued Stacey for mentorship). Deep dive into her move to OverActive, her mandate and the opportunity to grow and learn around IPOs and new venues. Insights into some of their partnerships with the likes of Bell, Red Bull and TD. What excites Alyson about the future, including emergence of women in the esports world and industry consolidation. We even touch on her days playing Ultimate Frisbee at the highest levels (trust me… google her) and how she was able to blend elite athleticism with her natural leadership skills. And talks of maybe coming out of retirement for a final run? Plus her role with WISE – a group aiming to help women in the sport and event sector reach the senior executive ranks. And a masterclass on professional development, including the importance of storytelling and how women should stop saying “sorry” in the workplace. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com/ Adam Mitchell is the kind of person who swings into action when he isn’t happy about something. He resented the fact that over $100b was spent on sponsorship globally without a reliable common currency. That’s what inspired him and his colleagues to start SponsorPulse. Adam’s journey included stops at Labatt, Kraft the CBC – all preparing him for the role he’s in today as CEO of a leading consumer insights firm Accordingly, this episode is loaded with insights and perspectives: The importance of blending gut instincts with supporting data and insights. How consumer data - determining what consumers care about - is the great equalizer. How data supports the strength of the national women’s soccer team. A unique view on how to structure long-term partnership deals. How properties are adopting a deeper commitment to insights-driven selling. The risk of value banks. And, how cause properties deliver exceptional brand impact and ROI to their partners. Adam shares trends that are catching his eye and great professional development advice around personal values. And the perils of spending too much time on LinkedIn. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com/ If you want to get Brent Barootes going, ask his opinion on Toronto being the quote unquote centre of the universe. And ask him to talk sponsorship marketing. Brent is an author, a sought-after speaker and one of the top sponsorship thought leaders in the country. We’ve been threatening to do an episode together for while and the stars finally aligned. We discuss his cross-country career journey – including stints in the hospitality sector, salmon farms, nightclubs and radio stations. We focus on his time selling sponsorships on the Calgary Flames radio broadcasts, where he helped charities and other groups promote their brands. During that time, Brent noticed a gap in the market and started the Partnership Group. Brent mentions the people that inspired him along the way – including a cool story about one early adversary who became a mentor and friend. Insights into some of the partnerships Brent has been involved, with a focus on municipality naming rights success stories in small towns like Summerside, PEI, and Morinville, Alberta. Brent shines a light on the new Jumpstart partnership with Clareview Rec Centre in Edmonton. He then shares insights into sponsorship marketing trends – including: The rise of purpose-driven partnerships, the way brands and properties band together in times of economic uncertainty, the intersection between technology and data, and an example of how data and technology can be applied to help charities like Crohn’s & Colitis and the MS Society fundraise and target partners. We wrap with awesome professional development advice. And his answer started with a question… a deep, philosophical question. You’ll leave informed and inspired. I hope you enjoy. And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing (https://rothrevenue.com/), sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com/. As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, it’s hard to think of a more appropriate guest than Nathalie Cook – a leader in the sports marketing space and a driving force in the movement for gender equality and investment in women’s sports. What a career… with stops at IMG, the Special Olympics, the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Media Consortium, Bell Media – where she became the first female VP and TSN - President at Cimoroni & Co., Chair of Canadian Women & Sport. She even has an award named after her - The Nathalie Cook Canadian Women & Sport Disruptor Award. I’m proud to call her a friend and former colleague and it was great to chat with her. We discussed her career journey; the people who inspired her along the way – very telling answer to this question. She gives insights into some of the sport partnerships she has been involved with. We dive into the work Nathalie is doing with Canadian Women & Sport | Femmes et sport au Canada and Project 8 Sports Inc. around investing in women’s sports and the development of Canada’s first professional soccer league. Nathalie then shines a light on other female leaders in sports and business. What a cool list of names. Many the next gen of leaders in this country. And we wrap with awesome professional development advice – so succinctly summed up in one word… I’ll let you listen to find out what that word is. You’ll leave inspired. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by The Programme, your guide to finding and watching women's sports online and on television. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at https://theprogramme.substack.com Canadian Tennis is having a moment. It’s actually been having a moment for the better part of the past decade. So, I tracked down the man tasked with stewarding the development and growth of the sport – Michael Downey. Michael’s resume is beyond impressive, with stops at Labatt, MLSE, Molson, the Lawn Tennis Association in Britain and Tennis Canada – where he is serving his second stint as president & CEO. We discussed Michael’s career journey, the people that made an impact on him along the way and his proudest accomplishments. By the way…I loved the way he answered that last part. We also discussed his move to England between stints at Tennis Canada, what he learned, how he changed vs his first term at Tennis Canada and some cool insights into Wimbledon – one of the truly iconic global events. Michael shared insights into the partnerships Tennis Canada has with the likes of National Bank, Rogers and Sobey’s and how they are working together to leave a legacy in communities and grow the sport of tennis. And we wrap with some wonderful professional development advice. As a life-long fan of the sport, it was a personal treat to chat with this dynamic and accomplished leader. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by Elevent, makers of sponsorship software that track, evaluate and manage all requests for partnerships. Learn more at Elevent.co Keith Pelley is inarguably one of the most accomplished sports media and sports marketing executives in the world. Appropriate given his role as CEO of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour and headquartered in the UK) takes Keith across the globe as he stewards the 2nd largest professional golf tour on the planet. Impressive doesn’t begin the describe his career journey – with stints as president of TSN, the Toronto Argonauts, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, Rogers Media, and now the DP World Tour. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him - and for him - on a few occasions and can say without hesitation that he possesses an unrivalled work ethic and passion for whatever he does. For this episode, I caught Keith at his home outside London, England to discuss his career journey, his current mandate at the DP World Tour and some of his many career accomplishments – i.e. Taking the former European Tour to new commercial heights through partnerships with DP World and Rolex… creating Friday Night Football at TSN… taking on the monumental task of producing and commercializing the coverage of the 2010 Olympics, and more. A few fun stories sprinkled in as well. It was a fun, inspiring and insightful chat. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

Gavin Roth here with another episode of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, sponsored by Elevent, makers of sponsorship software that track, evaluate and manage all requests for partnerships. Learn more at Elevent.co Bobby Sahni is a champion of diversity and growth. And while that could sound lofty, he has the credentials to back it up. Bobby is a leading Canadian authority on ethnic marketing. Together with partner Howard Lichtman, he founded Ethnicity Matters in 2013 – a multicultural marketing agency dedicated to helping companies drive growth by catering to the unique preferences of multicultural communities across Canada. Prior to launching Ethnicity Matters, Bobby was instrumental in spearheading multicultural marketing initiatives, thought-leadership and successes at Rogers, ICICI Bank and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Canada Post and Star Media Group. He is also a sought-after speaker who guest-lectures at Canadian universities and delivers keynote addresses across North America. We cover a lot of ground in this episode: - Bobby shares his career journey. - His views on the changing demographic profile of Canada and how brands should approach multicultural marketing. - Some of the work Ethnicity Matters is doing to help sports and entertainment properties attract new audiences. - The personal mission Bobby is on to promote inclusivity in hockey as a passionate hockey fan and a newly appointed Hockey Canada board member. - And as always, a couple rabbit holes like toilet paper and Michael Jordan – separate stories. It was a fun, inspiring and insightful chat. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

Nic Sulsky is not short on passion, enthusiasm, and opinion. He also knows the iGaming space as well as anyone… anywhere. Combine those two and you can see why PointsBet – an Australian-owned sportsbook operator – tapped Nic to lead their sales and marketing efforts in Canada. You see, PointsBet entered the Ontario sportsbook waters at a disadvantage to their rivals when the government opened the coveted Ontario market to licensed and regulated operators on April 4 of this year. Their pockets weren’t as deep, and they didn’t have an existing database to convert to paying bettors. So Nic and his team had to be crafty. A couple pillars they leaned on heavily were sponsorships and influencer marketing, quickly snapping up deals with Curling Canada, Alpine Canada, the Trailer Park Boys, NHL Alumni Association and – most recently – MLSE. All part of Nic’s strategy to build a brand wrapped in the Canadian flag. In our chat, Nic shares that strategy and his views on the Ontario sports betting market. We also stepped back and revisited his time as president of the popular disruptor daily fantasy brand, Monkey Knife Fight (any Simpsons fans out there?). A brand that in less than 3 years got purchased by Bally’s for $90 million. The sports betting business in Canada has never been hotter and Nic is the perfect guest to discuss it with. Some terrific insights, fun stories… and even an explanation of how one can be both a Habs fan and a Leafs fan at the same time. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com.

Jacquie Ryan was destined to end up in her current role as Chief Brand & Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee. From growing up in an Olympic family to working as a ski instructor to an internship at a top sports marketing agency, to leading the Olympic portfolio at RBC, and reshaping the philanthropy and sponsorship portfolio at Scotiabank. Yes, Jacquie landed in the perfect role. We discuss that journey, some of the more noteworthy sponsorship initiatives she has worked on – think Olympic Torch Relay and Scotiabank/MLSE – her mentors and views on leadership. We also discuss how that leadership was put to the test over these past 2 years and how the COC emerged in great shape. And we wrap with a look ahead to Beijing 2022 and some terrific professional development advice. I’ve wanted to have Jacquie on the show since I started my podcast and it was worth the wait. A wonderful chat with an inspiring leader. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

I’m back from a summer hiatus and thrilled to welcome Pat O’Brien onto the show. You may know Pat from the trademark cowboy hat he proudly wears to industry events. He’s a great guy who embodies the spirit of the property he has worked at for the past 16 years – the iconic Calgary Stampede. We discuss how Pat landed the role as Manager of Sponsorship at the Stampede and who inspired and supported him along the way. We cover how the Stampede plays a crucial role in the Calgary community and how they aligned with their sponsors to lift the spirits of the community during the heart of the pandemic in 2020. Pat shares some of their proudest accomplishments over the challenging last 18 months and how they enthusiastically welcomed fans back this past summer. Some great insights and inspiring stories. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

In this episode I catch up with Nicolas Marullo, CEO of Cinco. For 19 years, Nick and his team at Cinco have been at the forefront of experiential marketing. So it came as no surprise to me when I learned of his virtual experiential marketing platform called xSpace. Nick gives the lowdown on how xSpace came to be…why it is so relevant in today’s sponsorship marketing space…and how it is being used by brands and properties. Nick shares insights from the work he has done in Asia, and reveals the trends catching his curious eye. You'll also learn about Nick’s career journey, his mentors, and the evolution of Cinco. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

As my listeners know, mentorship is a central theme of this podcast. And there’s one name that tends to come up more often than others. And that name is Dave Hopkinson. Dave was Chief Commercial Officer at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment where he spent 23 years, working his way up from ticket sales. He then made headlines, by going overseas to take on a similar role for Real Madrid – the most popular soccer team in the world. And recently was in the news again, when word spread that he is back on this side of the pond as President of Business Operations at MSG Sports – home to the Knicks, Rangers and Madison Square Gardens. Dave is a true industry heavyweight, a Canadian-born global sports marketing success story, and a great guy. We discuss his journey and how he overcame early struggles in sales, his mentors and his proudest accomplishments at MLSE and Real Madrid. He shares what led to his return to North America and what excites him about his new role in the world’s most famous city. And of course, professional development advice. It’s a story of a wonderfully managed career. Humility. Bold decisions. Plus... he reveals who he’ll be pulling for when the Knicks play the Raptors. A very quick answer. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube… or check out https://rothrevenue.com

An important detour for this episode as I chat with 3 of the leaders in the sponsorship and sport marketing education space. Three people charged with inspiring the next gen of sponsorship and sports marketers. My guests are: Cheri Bradish - Loretta Rogers Research Chair in Sport Marketing at Ryerson University Peter Widdis - Professor of Marketing and Innovation... and Program Coordinator of Sport and Event Business at George Brown And Vijay Setlur – Sport Marketing Instructor at Schulich School of Business We discuss their respective journeys, their mentors, their areas of academic focus, the trends they are discussing with their students… and their professional development advice. Three great minds… a lively chat full of insight, stories, and a few laughs. I hope you enjoy! And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube… or check out https://rothrevenue.com