Best pitch presenter you’ve ever seen:
In my role, I don’t see many pitches. I do see a ton of sponsorship proposals, and really appreciate anyone who’s done their homework on the sponsor, can talk psychographics, and incorporates creative leverage ideas for the sponsor. Have to say, my recent experience is that women’s sport is tending to be better at this than men’s sport, which seems to have more solidly entrenched bad habits.
Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours):
Weetbix New Zealand and the All Blacks. They consistently hit the bullseye, punching way above their weight in impact for fans and their brand, and have done so for close to 20 years.
Best agency (that isn’t yours):
Wherever Sally Hancock is.
Best young industry talent:
I train a lot of younger industry pros, and there are lots of incredibly bright sparks coming through.
Best sporting event attended:
Hong Kong 7s
Best sporting event on TV:
AFL Grand Final
Best brand ambassador:
The Honey Badger (Nick Cummins). I don’t know if he’s the best, but he’s my favourite and definitely a one-off.
Best industry event or conference:
I attend a lot of sponsorship and event conferences as a speaker, and a lot of them have been great. My favourite by a nose would have to be the Sponsorship & Events Sweden conference. In terms of the sport business, more broadly, I’d have to say One-Zero.
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports business:
There are a lot of good ones to choose from! I particularly liked Concussion, Invictus, and Moneyball.
Best book recommendation :
Anything by David Thorne. Lordy, I’ve never laughed so hard.
Best bar or pub:
Mary’s Newtown or The Dock in Sydney. Trestle Inn in far northern Minnesota. And if you’re a karaoke lover, Wang Chung in Waikiki is the best!
Best restaurant:
Aria, Sydney
Best holiday resort:
Nha Trang, Vietnam for great food and relaxation. Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, for epic wreck diving. And if you’ve got younger kids, you can’t go past the Hard Rock Resort in Bali, where they wear your kids out with the Hard Rock Olympics, coinciding with two-for-one mojitos at the swim up bar.
Best box set:
Breaking Bad
Best influence on your career:
Early on, Caren Petrulo-Berry was my role model, and what a kick-arse role model she was. A few years later, Mark Avery, who gave me my first job in Australia, changing my life.
Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6):
Megan Rapinoe, Dolly Parton, Shonda Rimes, Dave Grohl, Henry Rollins, Jim Jeffries
Best job in the sports biz:
Global head of sponsorship for Emirates
Best professional regret:
Moving away from the big city for a man, nearly derailing my career. (He wasn’t worth it.)
Best skill you most covet:
Playing guitar well enough to do it on stage with my band.
Best trait you admire in others:
Courage of conviction.
Best overrated virtue:
Patience
Best ambition:
It’s all about adventures. Next two on the wish list are trekking in Patagonia and living in Reykjavik for a month or so.