The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast by Marcus Luer

Rahul Sood, founded VoodooPC, straight out of High School on his credit card and turned it into a global brand before selling it to HP. Next stop was launching Microsoft Ventures which lead to connecting with his now partner Karl Flores to start “Unikrn”, the largest Esports betting platform in the world.  Great deep dive into Rahul’s world, his passion for Gaming and Esports and why Unikrn will become the next Unicorn by building the future of digital gambling.  
Key Highlights
Voodoo PC, from a passion project started in a garage to a global brand (now HP Omen brand)
Microsoft Ventures Fund – starting a venture found from scratch, building accelerators to connect start ups to Microsoft customers, leading to a valuation of over US$ 4 billion by the time he left
Unikrn – how it all started with his buddy Karl Flores, raising funds, bringing in high profile investors
Uni-coin ICO and reasons for launching it and the compliance behind it
What is Unikrn and how did the idea come about – from betting on yourself to betting on major Esports tournaments  
Goal was to be the biggest bookmaker in Esports  
UMode – bet on yourself – how it works and only on Unikrn
Going from 2 countries to 40 and the challenges which come with it, different betting formats and trends globally
The opportunities and challenges because of the pandemic
How Games are priced, driven by AI bots – 2-3 years ahead of others  
From live in-game betting, different handicaps, special betting options unique to each game
Challenge is localization, currently 4 languages and customization to local betting behaviour
Business still churning money, large overheads, big team, still in building mode
Building the future of Digital gambling - challenge with Investors who don’t understand the business
Unikrn’s connection to the E-gaming ecosystem, from Publishers, Teams, Streamers, Influencers to streaming platforms (affiliate programs)
Virtual Horse-racing, from breeding them to racing and winning price money
Learnings, success and failures as an Entrepreneur and from his time at Microsoft - Focus on your passion and adapt to change as quickly as you can
Interplay between traditional sports & Esports after Covid – the future of entertainment
 
About
Rahul Sood is the co-founder of Unikrn, a global Esports entertainment and sports betting platform built on cutting edge blockchain and gaming technologies.Previous to Unikrn, Sood created the first incubation fund for startups at Microsoft, and eventually he consolidated their global startup activities and launched Microsoft Ventures.A serial entrepreneur, Sood spent 18 years in multiple startups prior to joining Microsoft. He founded luxury and gaming computer manufacturer VoodooPC, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard. Sood is an early shareholder and advisor to Maingear, Razer, ZED, and Vrvana which was recently acquired by Apple.Unikrn’s mission as a global esports entertainment platform is to heighten the experience of watching and participating in esports. Unikrn uses blockchain technology to optimize the payment flow for customers while allowing them to bet using the currency of their choice on a full array of Esports and Video Game offerings.Unikrn is venture backed with investors such as Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, Liz Murdoch, Shari Redstone, and many others. Unikrn built an end to end betting platform that can be licensed by commercial operators, and they have opened their doors to multiple international markets. Unikrn has been featured on Forbes, Fortune, ESPN, CNBC and countless publications around the world.Sood is active in the startup community, helping and mentoring a variety of startups. In his spare time, Sood enjoys wake surfing & wake boarding, standup paddle boarding, cycling, racing cars and spending time with his family. He lives in Seattle, you can find him on Twitter @rahulsood. You can find Unikrn on Twitter @unikrnco.
 
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
-----------------------------------------------The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Patrick Sweeney’s, fellow YPOer, recent best selling book “Fear is Fuel” and his life experiences are perfect for the current state and level of “Fear” globally.  We take a deep dive into Patrick’s sports career, his entrepreneurial success and off course the “brick” that hit him when he was 35 years old and changed his life.  The Patrick Sweeney 2.0 version is a very different man on a mission.  Incredible stories and learning inside.
Key Highlights
His early days as the “wimpy kid”, turned world-class rowing champion touring the world and the dream of winning an “Olympic Medal”
“Could have been” an Olympic Champion and “could have been” a Billionaire if not for decisions out of fear
Life either happens “to you” or “by you” depends on your mindset
Transition to Entrepreneur – goal 40 by 40
Fear of failure and fear of success, what worked and what didn’t as an entrepreneur
First company and mistakes which cost him dearly, company now worth US$ 3 billion
Second company and fears continue
And then came the brick-  diagnosed with rare Leukemia at the age of 35 and 15 years later
Overcoming the disease and fear
Sweeney 2.0 version – first took up flying lessons and then conquered the world
Now adventure racing around the world
Wrote the book as a guide on how to overcome Fear without having to go through his life-threatening experiences
Mentoring CEOs, Masterclass and TED Talk keynote speaker
How companies can learn from it in the current environment & get in touch with him
Final thoughts on how to use “Fear as Fuel”
 
About
Inc. Magazine called Patrick one of the most interesting men alive, but he considers himself ordinary and able to do things anyone can learn if they understand how to use fear as fuel. He inspires audiences with the neuroscience of fear & how it can be a competitive advantage. He shows why we need to find more fear in our life, and it's fascinating!
In 2018 Patrick won the world's toughest bicycle race – the Race Across America almost 20 years after he finished 2nd place in the Olympic rowing trials, he's founded four tech companies while creating eight patents and raising almost $50 million. Patrick has leveraged fear as fuel for peak performance and to create an inspiring life of passion, happiness and fulfillment. The son of Irish immigrants he was the first to go to college in his family and ever since has refused to accept upper limits set by family, friends or society. He teaches audience how to break through their limits.
Some fears you can face head on, and some show up unexpectedly to shake you to your core. When Patrick was told he had Leukemia, he, again, faced fear head on and learned the biggest life secrets to success.
When he realized the power of fear to fuel amazing feats in all aspects of life he began interviewing the world's top neuroscientists and psychologist for his book Fear is Fuel. He found out why and how our mind locks us in anxiety-ridden prison or leads us to the life of our dreams. His mission is to share those secrets with millions of people.
As a winner in sports and a winner in business he is committed to leveraging those fear lessons on himself and channel them into setting world records by being the first person to attempt cycling the Seven Summits. Patrick has been happily married (to the same woman) for 20 years (yes, she's a saint) and has three teenage children. He splits time between Boston Ma, Chamonix, France and Seat 21D.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
-----------------------------------------------The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Stacey is and has been truly a world leader in Tennis for 30 years, I call her the “First Lady of Tennis” but she felt that this should be reserved for a player like Serena Williams. That gives you a great sense of her character, always there to serve the game first and not out to take credit for the amazing work she has done over three decades. Enjoy the deep dive into the rise of the WTA Tour under her leadership, how she learned from David Stern’s playbook and hear how she is planning to host the US Open in August this year.  Very timely discussion on so many levels and excited to finally have a female voice on the Podcast.  
 
Key Highlights
How she got started in tennis, as an 8th grader in summer camp
Her purpose in life, generate the funds to bring Kids into the sport and create a career path
More than 50% of Female leaders have played competitive sports, so it’s a great foundation for the future
15 years at Tennis Canada
WTA Tour stories – billions of new revenue during her era
Opening an office in China (NBA playbook), expanding across Asia and other new markets, expansion of the WTA Tour Final
Price money grew by 100%  (cash is oxygen for sports), PERFORM media rights deal
Players come in cycles and build on the previous generation achievements
USTA – US Open will happen Aug 31 – Sept 13 (as of today) & lead up events
Decision process to go ahead, where to host it (remaining in NYC), working with Governor and US government
80% of players are from around the world, major logistics to get athletes in and out of the country
Risk mitigation through tests, screening and other measures – Covid is real and need to take serious
Normally 850,000 fans on-site, single largest annual sporting event in the world – this time NO FANS
Learning from others who have launched live events, Bundesliga, etc and creating new ideas
Her final thoughts on sports in the next 30 years – need to be externally focused beyond the sport itself
 
About
Stacey Allaster is the Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, with the United States Tennis Association (USTA). In this role, Allaster is tasked with setting the strategic vision for the USTA’s pro tennis division – including oversight of the US Open, Emirates Airline US Open Series, Davis Cup, Fed Cup and more – and working closely with the USTA board of directors and the USTA pro tennis staff to ensure the continued viability of professional tennis in the United States.
Allaster was born in Windsor, Ontario and started playing tennis at the age of 12.
After graduating from University, she worked for the Ontario Tennis Association as membership sales co-ordinator and director of player development.
She became the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Tournament Director of the Rogers Cup. In 2006, she was appointed as the President of Women's Tennis Association, a newly created role in the organization.
In July 2009, Allaster was promoted to be the chairman and CEO of the WTA Tour, succeeding Larry Scott.
While serving as the CEO, the WTA secured one billion dollars in diversified contracted revenues, which included the partnership with an international media group (Perform).
Allaster holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Physical Education from the University of Western Ontario where she also received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.) and has an MBA from the Ivey School of Business.
Allaster was also recently appointed to the Devos Sport Business Management Program Board of Advisors.
 
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
-----------------------------------------------The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Papa Massata Diack is a true African Sports Entrepreneur from Senegal and has been involved in some of the biggest events and deals across the world of sports. He is no stranger to controversies and in this Podcast you will hear “his” side of the story.  Listen and then you decide what you think happened in those IAAF corridors. Plus some great insights into the world of African sports. Enjoy.
 
Key Highlights
His early days at ISL Marketing, projects in Qatar, South Africa across Football, Athletics, etc
Starting Pamodzi Sports Marketing & Consulting in 1997 with offices in South Africa, Togo, Senegal, etc
Getting involved in IAAF after ISL’s bankruptcy and Dentsu’s take over of the contract
Involved in Football projects across Africa
Appointed as IAAF consultant across 9 Emerging Markets via AMS (China, India, Middle East, Africa, Mexico, etc) bringing in over US$ 200 mil in revenue from big emerging market companies (Samsung, Sinopec, etc)
Where it all went wrong with Russia in 2013 – Daily Mail report
Transferring money got him into trouble
British Press using the Russian Doping story to tarnish his father’s leadership (Liam Diack) and pushing Sebastian Coe as the new IAAF President
Sports politics and geo political issues being used for the IAAF Presidential election
Current law-suit filed by WADA against his father and himself to investigate sports marketing contracts.  Scaring off sponsors and host venues
British and German media attacks
His experience as an African Entrepreneur in the world of sports, inspired by Nelson Mandela and thoughts on racial tension
The future of Sports Marketing on the African Continent – upcoming sports and regional blocks
Senegal hosting the Youth Olympics in 2022
NBA African League
Martial Arts, Cycling Tours, etc
Esports & Egaming in Africa growing with infrastructure improving
 
AboutWith more than 25 years of experience in the sports world, Papa Massata DIACK acquired a solid mastery of Public Relations, Event Management,Marketing, strategic development and management of major projects. A true professional, Papa Massata puts his expertise at the service of sports institutions and community as part of his advisory activities. Since 1997, PAMODZI Sports Marketing & Consulting's Mission has been to be a leader in African sports marketing.
Sold over USD 678 million worth of contracts in Athletics and Football.
Involved in organization of 8 African Cup of Nations, 7 African Athletics Championships, 8 IAAF Invitational Meetings in Nairobi, Dakar, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Abidjan, Doha, Ponce, Belém and Kingston. Worked on 7 IAAF World Championships ( Stuttgart, Gothenburg, Osaka, Berlin, Daegu, Moscow and Beijing) and 2 World Cup in Athletics (Havana and Johannesburg).-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Andrew Collins, came to China as a true Laowai (Alien) and made it, building the biggest Sports Digital Media Consulting business in the country and is now taking it globally.  Amazing stories of how he got started, stuck with it despite all the challenges and made it work.
 
Key Highlights 
How Andrew got started as an Entrepreneur winning a University competition and catching the China bug early
Never wanting a full time job, lessons from Jack Morton, sold his small retail business and decided to move to China  
Dream was starting a publishing business (in China), bought a company called Mailman in Shanghai which was an old postcard media sales business, losing money and owned by another foreigner
The journey from Mailman’s original business to becoming a powerhouse in Sports Social Media consulting (Mailman & Seven League)
Great examples of Mailman’s work and clients across Leagues, teams, athletes, sponsors
China Social Media and new digital platforms in China from Short form video (from Douyin (Tiktok), IQIYI, Huya, Douyu to Youku)
Demand for long form sports content for the top sports (Premier League & NBA) is safe but there are challenges for everyone else.   
The power of Chinese KOL/Influencers and Live Streaming platforms
Esports in China and his views on E-gaming/Esports ecosystem in general
Mobile Only culture
Defining moments of being a Laowai Entrepreneur in China
Raising US$ 30 mil in 2016 for global expansion & future plans & final lessons
A bit about TSA
 
About
Andrew grew up in Wodonga, where he attended Wodonga Secondary College with his 2 brothers Sean and Liam.
Following high school Andrew moved to Melbourne to study business and media at Swinburne University where he completed his Bachelors degree.  While at Swinburne he completed a semester abroad at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. At university Andrew was very active, leading international student excursions, working at the University gym, playing Football, tennis and in his final year setting up a small, yet profitable import and retail business.
Andrew finished his studies with the Swinburne Chancellor Award for most outstanding entrepreneur with a $10,000 award and participated in a global technology summit in Singapore and Shanghai. It was on this trip which transformed Andrew’s view on the world and inspired the passion to build a career in Asia. With studies complete, Andrew began working part time for a global experiential marketing company Jack Morton. Worldwide, where Andrew supported on business development while also continuing to manage the retail business.
In 2005 Andrew sold the retail business, gave notice at Jack Morton and headed on a solo back-packing adventure around the world. He visited North America, Europe and Asia and developed a passion for travel.
Upon returning to Australia, no job, no business - Andrew decided he would explore setting up a company in Shanghai in media and publishing.
After 18 months of travel to China, 100’s of meetings with senior business owners and expatriates in the region he agreed to purchase a small little known media consulting business Mailman Ltd.
In 2007, as the new CEO of Mailman, Andrew moved to Shanghai to begin his next chapter. The company had 4 staff, was losing money, yet Andrew was optimistic he could turn it around.
After several years of trial and error, as Andrew and his new team developed capabilities in digital marketing with a focus on sports. Andrew repositioned the company, refined the brand and began a years long strategy to build credibility with the world’s leading sports organisations.
By 2016, Mailman was considered the leader across China, serving many of the worlds most iconic sports organisations including the NFL, UFC, Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Ronalda, Manchester United and more.
In early 2017 the company raised over US$25m from leading Chinese investors Yao Captial, Kaixin Capital, and WeCapital. With this capital the group continued to grow services, product lines and expansion geographically.
In 2018, Mailman acquired Seven League, at the time Europes leading sports digital consultancy. With this acquisition the group had a strong footprint across Asia and Europe. 
Now, in 2020 Mailman is the world’s leading sports digital consultancy and agency. With over 200 staff across Europe, China, USA and Asia, the group serves over 100 international sporting organisations, athletes and teams across 54 global markets now including Chelsea FC, FIFA, NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Juventus FC and more.
Andrew is considered one of the top 40 digital people in Asia, won multiple awards in entrepreneurship and innovation. He has appeared in Bloomberg, Fox, CNN, Fast Company, and Forbes and is widely recognised as a pioneer in the sports and digital industries in China and APAC.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind
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Rainer has lived the dream of any young boy/girl who grew up playing and loving the sport of tennis. From starting at the age of 10 to going Pro at 18/19, getting to a Grand Slam Final, cracking the top 5 ATP Tour ranking and retiring with an amazing career behind him at they age of 36 and then becoming an Entrepreneur by buying a license for an ATP event. Rainer has lived it and been there and is sharing his thoughts, emotions and learning from his amazing tennis journey.
 Key Highlights
Tennis professional by mistake – started playing at age 10
At 16-17 starting to take it serious, playing ITF Junior Tournaments around the world, getting on Junior World Ranking
His coach, Dirk Hordorff was instrumental in taking pressure off him and setting him up for a successful transition from Junior to professional player
Making the ATP Ranking at the age of 18-19
Learning from losing & winning, always look where you want to be 6 months in the future, improved ranking 11 years in a row
Dealing with losing every week (at least once)
Started early to learn other business beyond tennis from Coach
Toughest loss – becomes winning the Silver Medal in Doubles at the Olympics with Nicolas Kiefer later
Learning for business from his tennis career
Taking over the ATP World Team Cup in Duesseldorf, now ATP 250 event in Geneva, partnered with Ion Tiriac
His event also a Covid-19 victim and learning from this
Thoughts on tennis and the rest of the season
Life now, German Fed Cup Captain, his own event, attending the Grand Slams, etc
 
About
Rainer Schüttler is a retired German professional tennis player. As of 2019, he is the most recent male German player to reach the singles final of a Grand Slam tournament, finishing as runner-up at the 2003 Australian Open. Schüttler also won a silver medal in doubles at the 2004 Summer Olympics and achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 5 in April 2004.
He began playing tennis at the age of nine. He resides in Switzerland.
In 2003, Schüttler became the first German since Boris Becker in 1989 to advance to the fourth round at all Grand Slams. He became the first German to reach a Grand Slam final, at the Australian Open, since Michael Stich was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 1996. En route to the final, which he lost in straight sets to Andre Agassi, he defeated Andy Roddick who would end the season as world No 1.
In 2004, Schüttler reached his first career ATP Masters Series final in Monte Carlo by beating Gustavo Kuerten in the first round, Lleyton Hewitt in the third round, Tim Henman in the quarterfinal and Carlos Moyá in the semifinal. In the final, he lost to Guillermo Coria. That week, he would reach a career-high ranking of No. 5. Schüttler won a silver medal for Germany in men's doubles with partner Nicolas Kiefer at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. 2004 was the sixth straight year in which he finished in the ATP top 50.
Schüttler reached his first career semifinal at Wimbledon by beating Santiago Ventura, James Blake, Guillermo García-López, Janko Tipsarević, and Arnaud Clément 6–3, 5–7, 7–6, 6–7, 8–6. His match with Clément was over five hours, completed in two days to reach the semifinals, in which Schuettler saved a match point at 6–5 down in the fifth set. He was defeated by eventual champion Rafael Nadal 1–6, 6–7, 4–6. His achievement was a big surprise, since he entered the tournament ranked 94th and with a streak of 13 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments without making it past the second round.
His 2009 season, Schüttler started off at the Chennai Open, beating Prakash Amritraj 6–2, 4–6, 6–1. In the second round, he beat Simon Greul 6–4, 6–2, and in the quarterfinals Björn Phau, 6–2, 7–5. Unfortunately Schuettler had to withdraw from his semifinal match against Somdev Devvarman because of a wrist injury. He also withdrew from the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, he was seeded 30th but lost in the first round to Israeli Dudi Sela 1–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4. He also participated in the doubles with Lu Yen-hsun, but they were defeated by Łukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach. In the first round in Rotterdam, he lost to Mario Ančić. He played the Open 13 in Marseille, defeating Laurent Recouderc in the first round 6–1, 6–4.
He competed at the ARAG World Team Cup in Germany, helping his country reach the final, where they lost to Serbia.In the second round at Wimbledon, though seeded 18th, he was upset by Dudi Sela, 7–6, 6–3, 6–2.
He reached the second round of the Australian Open defeating Sam Querrey in four sets. However he lost to Feliciano López in four sets, too. At the French Open, he again suffered a first-round exit, this time against Guillermo García-López in straight sets. He reached the semifinal of the Aegon Championships at the Queens Club in London but lost to Sam Querrey in three sets 7–6, 5–7, 3–6. Despite his good form he was defeated by Denis Istomin in the second round of Wimbledon in five sets. At the quarterfinal of the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles, Schüttler could not manage to close out the match against Querrey despite serving for it at 5–4 and 6–5 in the deciding set. He was knocked out in the first round of the US Open losing to Benoît Paire. At the Thailand Open in Bangkok, Schüttler beat Ricardo Mello in round one for a second round berth against Ernests Gulbis. He lost 6–7, 7–6, 4–6 in a close match.In 2010, Schüttler and his former Davis Cup companion Alexander Waske founded the Schüttler Waske Tennis-University, a tennis academy for professional tennis players.
Schüttler started the tour at the Qatar Open where he confronted Teymuraz Gabashvili in the singles, but lost 3–5, 6–7. He also played doubles with Guillermo García-López confronting Marco Chiudinelli and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to whom they lost 1–6, 2–6. At the Australian Open, he played ninth seed Fernando Verdasco in the first round, but lost 1–6, 3–6, 2–6. He then played several Challenger series tournaments. At Wimbledon, he defeated Thomaz Bellucci in the first round, but lost to Feliciano López in the second 6–7, 7–6, 2–6, 2–6.
Schüttler retired in October 2012 and has coached Sergiy Stakhovsky and Vasek Pospisil.Since November 2018, he coached former world No. 1, Angelique Kerber. In July 2019, Kerber announced they had split on social media.
 
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If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind
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Dr. Elliott gives us incredible insights into the world of Applied Sports Science and how this is a potential game-changer for athlete training, injury prevention and using big data to create a winning formula.  This is “Moneyball” with human movement data.  Anyone who is involved in managing a team, club or professional league needs to hear this and pay close attention.
 
Key Highlights
His start after graduating from Havard Medical School, building a career track which didn’t exist
His days with the New England Patriots, how a doctor can win two Superbowl rings, by reducing injuries to the athletes
Waste of a world class education, over qualified personal trainer?
MLB, Seattle Mariners days, solving the next problem
SPORTS with the highest skill component has the most slack in athletes physical development compared to other Olympic sports
Applied Sports Science – the new era of athlete development – the “applied” part is the key
The study of the human response to sport (Physiology, Bio Mechanics, Psychology, skill acquisition)
Most valuable part is studying “athlete movements” – how we move has profound consequences how we perform, which body parts wear out and how long a career will last
Data capture thru motion images
60% of NBA athletes have gone thru the system – very detailed view of the mechanical system of these athletes
Create big data sets and correlation studies – at the core, it’s high school physics applied over and over
James Harden story – he is basically an average player on most performance metrics but has superhuman breaking abilities (hidden performance metric)
Luka Doncic, Slovenian player making a big impact in the NBA because he has the same ability
Identifying new secondary metrics and building up granular data which can have huge impact on performances
Data shows how injuries are related to the player's movement, thru algorithm
NBA program with his company, testing all new players coming into the League
Data protection, fine line and sensitive area
His favorite thing is to work with young talented athletes and guide them through a long career
How to find the next Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or the next elite NBA defender
Learning from each athlete and his metrics
Olympic sports, ie. swimming is harder to create bigger impact from the data (working at 98% already)
Easier in skill dependant sport to have a big impact (many athletes work below 85%)
Football/Soccer is well behind American sports in athlete optimization
Critical movements in football happen in a fraction of a second which create the game-winning move, that can be measured and trained
Manchester United story – Mr. Mourinho  
Massive opportunity to make improvements to athlete movement optimization
German National Team – great executers, innovators but a little conservative
How does the learning from the top athletes can impact the average weekend warrior
It should be all about prevention of injuries and before body parts wear out  
How to take the knowledge to another level for the masses – data collection
Athlete coming out after the Covid break – his thoughts on players out coming and going straight into Play-off season
Connect with him on LinkedIn or get in touch with me
 
About
Dr. Marcus Elliott is a Harvard trained physician who has innovated the use of technology, data, and applied sports science in the care of professional athletes. As Founder of P3, Dr. Elliott has served as sports science director for many of the leading organizations in professional sport. In each case the objective has been to take the guesswork out of athlete development and to find the most actionable data for creating competitive advantages in performance and injury prevention for these teams.Dr. Elliott has served as the first director of sports science in the NFL (2000) and MLB (2008), and has led out the NBA's data-driven approach to caring for their athletes. Additionally, over the past 12 years P3 has compiled the most comprehensive database of professional athlete performance and kinematic metrics in sport, and is utilizing that database across multiple project fronts.Dr. Elliott was awarded the Augustus Thorndike visiting lecturer and professor award at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in 2019 for his contributions in sports medicine and science. As an internationally renowned leader in the field of applied sports science, he also serves on several boards in the sports and performance nutrition fields. He primarily resides in Santa Barbara Ca., with his wife Nadine and three children.
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If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind

Dominik takes us back in time, what happened in the 1990s and early 2000 in World Football. How Fifa and its powerful agencies from ISL, Prisma to later Infront controlled the game and the commercial rights. And his trials and tribulations as an Entrepreneur. Fascinating stories, enjoy.
Fifa's report into ISL scandal is just window dressing:https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/22355455
About ISL:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Sport_and_Leisure
 
Key Highlights
Getting a job at the Goliath of Sports Agencies in the early 90s, ISL Marketing
ISL Marketing’s rights portfolio from the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, UEFA, African Nations Cup, etc
Creation of new licensing (EA Sports deal with FIFA) and sponsorship programs, big money coming into sports
Two parts to ISL. One side ran the business, the other ran the politics with the Federations
“Foul”, money destroys the beautiful game
FIFA had no clue about marketing or the commercial side of the sports
FIFA TV rights battle – 2.8 billion guarantee (2002 & 2006 World Cup) – creation of Prisma Sports – Kirch Group getting into the game
Creation of HBS (Host Broadcasting Services) – JV between ISL & Prisma
Big rights gamble paid off for Kirch
FIFA’s future, 2026 World Cup, 48 teams, is too much of a good thing
From ISL, Prisma, Kirch Sports to Infront
Biggest lesson: Global Sports Federations need to separate the Administration vs Commercial side of the business. Too much conflict of interest otherwise. US sports got that right.
Dominik’s move into Entrepreneurship and tough learning (first a no from Bernie Ecclestone)
Start-up experiences, streaming Platform (Zattoo), Augmented Reality (Augmara),
Start-up success hangs on the right time, right people, right funding and a good dose of luck
Schmid Media Solutions (SMS) – consulting project in social media, digital strategies
Looking into the future of sports & tech – Esports, AR
 
About
Dominik is an entrepreneur/general manager in the digital (media) space and is always looking for interesting projects to assist in an advisory but hands-on capacity. He is a digital strategist, who grew up in the analogue world and knows how to build bridges between the 'old'​ world and today's reality. He understands both sides and can easily facilitate communication between them. Dominik is also interested in all aspects related to the area of digitization and the paradigm shift it brings about, the new opportunities it creates and the broader impact on society.Very broad industry background, in particular in sports and music, with substantial experience in the electronic media (digital media, IPTV, rights licensing, broadcast operations), marketing (sponsorship, licensing) and legal (contract negotiation and drafting) and social media fields. Strong leadership skills and proven track record of delivering results under difficult circumstances in varying cultural environments. Experienced negotiator. Strong social skills. Team builder and integrator.
-----------------------------------------------
If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind

David gives us a fascinating look into his amazing career from being an intern at the Washington Capitals to leading IMG's global Consulting Business to now being a founding Partner of Bruins Sports Capital and sitting on USD 700 million in Capital to invest. Enjoy the journey.
 Key Highlights
Early days, from internship at the Washington Capitals to the Sports Business Daily
Learning the business, how to sell, cold calling, building a network leads to the next opportunities at the NHL and then IMG
IMG – over 15 years building a new Consulting practise on the back of IMG’s global resources and knowledge in sports
Educating Brands on how to leverage sports assets and the power of sports
How to navigate potential conflict of interest, ie not being seen as just selling IMG properties
Insights into Mark McCormack’s, legendary founder of IMG, leadership style  
IMG 2.0 under Ted Forstmann, how Private Equity changed the business discipline and made IMG an even a better company, leading to a huge exit 10 years later
Bruins Sports Capital (BSC) – big picture and funding power
Focus on Media, Lifestyle and Marketing services in sports
BSC – smart money, not just money but huge experiences
BSC 1st Fund, US$ 300 million committed capital and BSC 2nd Fund, additional US$ 600 million (US$ 700 million of dry powder)
Focus of 1st Fund – companies with US$ 10 million of earnings, investing several rounds (tug in rounds)
On Location Experiences (OLE), partnership with NFL and sale of business for US$ 660 million
Focus on building businesses, growing companies, long term vision – not focused on exit strategies
Courtside Ventures (separate VC fund, managed by 3rd party) to invest in sports tech startups
How to foster collaboration between portfolio companies
Current climate for existing portfolio companies
Focus on platform businesses, OTT, Digital, Marketing – not focuses on distressed assets (broken businesses), focus on great businesses and great people
Biggest learning from his career (find Mentors & develop communication skills, build network)
No real regrets, learn from losses
TSA’s new mission in the region. Bring US$ 1 billion of new revenue and capital to the sports ecosystem in the next 10 years
 
About
David Abrutyn is a top strategist and innovative leader who has transformed sports and entertainment businesses for nearly 30 years. He specializes in helping global brands, sports leagues, rights holders, and marketing agencies on the ways to capitalize on emerging growth trends, disruption, and evolving consumer behaviors.
For Bruin, he sources and evaluates investment opportunities and is responsible for the company’s interests in the marketing services sector, including its ownership of award-winning agencies Engine Shop and Soulsight. His work establishing On Locations Experiences – a Bruin joint venture with the NFL – set the stage for OLE’s rapid growth and sale for $660M four years after launch. He has also been instrumental in the U.S. expansion of Deltatre, a Bruin media technology company, based in Turin, Italy, which now serves the most prestigious U.S. sports companies and leagues, among its global roster of clients.
David joined Bruin in 2015 after 15 years at IMG, where as Senior Vice President & Global Managing Director of its Consulting, and led one of the industry’s most successful practices. During his tenure the business grew from less than ten people to nearly 200 people operating in 13 countries and 50+ clients. He diversified the core capabilities of the business to include activation, communications, public relations, property consulting, public sector, and tourism. IMG’s practice was also US and UK Agency of the Year multiple times and its clients achieve across-the-board accolades from the industry’s most respected trade publications.
David’s career began in sales and marketing with the Washington Capitals before he joined The Sports Business Daily at its launch and served as Associate Publisher Sports Business Journal/Daily, now the industry’s leading trade publication. After SBJ, he joined the National Hockey League’s Marketing Group before moving on to IMG. In 2008, SBJ named David to its prestigious 40-Under-40 list.
A University of Hartford graduate, David, his wife, and two children reside in Rye, New York.
 
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If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind

John has been the voice and face of Football and in particular of the English Premier League for over a decade across Asia and the world.  In this episode, we go in front of the camera and have a look at how John’s career took him from being a face/voice to becoming a “brand” himself. Great storytelling by the man with the smooth voice and of course great insights and learning for anyone who has an aspiration in this space and/or likes to learn what it takes to be in front of cameras.
  
 Key Highlights
Early days as a journalist at the South China Morning Post and host on TVB (Hong Kong)
Making the decision to be in Sports full time and concentrate
Dos and Don’ts of broadcasting as a presenter/anchor
Premier League, from ESPN/Star Sports to Premier League Content service
His most interesting interviews (from Thierry Henry to Michel Platini)
The John Dykes Show – how it started and story behind it (how to create an engaging show without ‘live’ content)
It’s more than just a TV program, it’s a multi-cross-platform production
How to create engaging content even during Covid when there is no live sports
Football talk – Premier League
How new technology will change the viewing experience and VAR – the debate goes on
About
Asia’s best-known sports broadcast anchor. Host of “The John Dykes Show” on Fox Sports.Twitter: @johndykesfcInstagram: johnmdykes“The John Dykes Show” on Fox Sports Asia drives a global football debate, with particular focus on the Premier League, across linear and digital platforms, engaging with fans across a 20-country Asian footprint and beyond.John previously worked on the Premier League’s international broadcasts from 2010 to 2017,fronting live, predominantly studio-based coverage. He also commentated on "Goal Rush" -- calling one game and crossing to goals and incidents from other matches as they happened.Before that, 13 years broadcasting across Asia with ESPN STAR Sports, also to 50 African countries on SuperSport's FIFA World Cup 2014 and UEFA Euro2016 coverage. John has hosted Indian Super League content for STAR Sports in India.As well as ESPN Star Sports' Premier League broadcasts to Asia, he has hosted a broad range of sports: cricket World Cups and tours, golf's Masters, Grand Slam tennis at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, F1 (five years as host of the Raceday show on STAR Sports), rugby World Cups and Six Nations, Moto GP, Superbikes, UEFA Champions League finals.John's network of professional collaborators ranges from football legends such as Ryan Giggs, Peter Schmeichel and Alan Shearer to other major stars from various sports.As an event host, he has compered the Asian Football Confederation awards shows, corporate dinners and sporting occasions. In December 2014 John was on stage in front of more than 30,000 fans at the BPL Live fan park event in Mumbai, the following year it was in Cape Town. In April 2014 he hosted an event at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge for visiting members of the China Entrepreneurs Club. John speaks conversational Cantonese and Mandarin. 
 
-----------------------------------------------
If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind

This time, I am sharing some of my stories of 27 years in the trenches of Sports Marketing, how I got into the industry and my 23 year journey as a Sports Marketing Entrepreneur in Asia. Hope you enjoy some of the stories and insights into TSA and our evolution as a company.
 
Key Highlights
How I got started, from tennis in Cologne, Germany to University at TCU in the US
American Airlines experience,  Official Airline of the FIFA World Cup 1994 (Concacaf Gold Cup)
First real job in Hong Kong with Asia Sports (World Sports Group – now Lagardere Sports)
Start of TSA in 1997 during the Asian Financial Crisis
TSA 1.0 to 5.0
TSA 1.0 -  WWE agent in Asia story – US$ 170 million later
TSA 2.0 -  Media agent, representing US Open tennis, BWF, ITTF, PSM and other premium content
TSA 3.0 – started with a painful experience, internally created and launch of GLORY Kickboxing, new revenue streams, Branded Real Estate
TSA 4.0 – Digital experience, OTT – Sportsfix launch, Blockchain experience (ICO), E-Sports, Football Division
TSA 5.0 -  TSA post Covid-19 – focus on Consulting, Beat Covid-19 products for the Live Sports industry, new revenue streams for Sports & Esports, Sports Fund
BHAG:  Generated US$ 500 million in the past 20 years for the industry – NEW GOAL is to generate US$ 1 billion in next 10 years
 
About
Marcus Luer is Asia’s #1 Sports Marketing Entrepreneur and the Group CEO of TSA (Total Sports Asia), Asia’s global sports marketing agency which he founded 23 years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 
Marcus is a thought after industry expert and speaker and has been featured on CNBC, BBC News, Bloomberg Asia, regularly presents at major global sports conferences and has contributed to many international newspapers and industry magazines articles.
He recently launched his own Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast Series featuring top sports executives and entrepreneurs from around the world. 
Sports Business International (SBI) magazine voted him into the “SBI 200 Team”, comprising of the most influential leaders in the industry over the past 18 years. He is also the Co-Founder of GLORY Sports International (GSI), the #1 Kickboxing League in the world. Marcus also created the Branded Real Estate (BRE) concept, a brand consulting business to the Real Estate industry. 
BRE has developed a very unique set of skills which matches the power of Superbrands with Residential Real Estate projects in the region. From the Michael Schumacher World Tower to two Armani Residences in India and China, TSA BRE has developed projects with a combined GDV value of over US$ 1 billion and is the leading agency globally in this space.
Living and working in the sports industry in Asia for over 25 years, Marcus is considered one of the Founding fathers of Sports Marketing in Asia and continues to follow his passion to develop the Asian and global sports industry.
At the end of 1997, at the age of 29 and after three years in Asia working for World Sports Group (WSG), Marcus founded TSA. Marcus’ drive and leadership has guided the company to what it is today, Asia’s global leader in sports content and branding solutions. TSA has created over US$ 500 million worth of new revenue for rights holders globally over the past 20 years and targets to generate US$ 1 billion over the next 10 years for Asian sports and Esports properties.
TSA represents and/or has worked with major global sports brands from Premier League Football Clubs, Formula One teams, WWE, US Open Tennis and a host of Olympic Sports Federations (BWF, ITTF, AIBA, IAAF, FINA, UCI, etc) over the last 23 years. TSA also partnered with the SPARTAN RACE series in 2015 to develop the first events in Asia.
TSA’s role is always focused on developing new commercial opportunities and build larger platforms for rights holders, events, Venues and brands in the region or worldwide. TSA’s clients range from broadcasters, Asian multinationals to global corporations and governments seeking to maximize the power of sports for their own brand benefit. 
TSA provides a range of consulting services to these clients, for example, as the Commercial Partnership Consultant to KL Sports City, TSA created Malaysia’s first Venue Naming rights deal with the Axiata Arena. TSA is currently developing a 10 Year Sports Masterplan for an Asian Government, including grassroots, education to elite athlete training concepts. Sports Education is becoming a new driving force in Asia and TSA has partnered with the prestigious Loughborough University in the UK.
TSA Football is focused on serving the growing Asian Football market, including Player transfers, Football Club/Leagues Consulting services, sponsorship and other fund raising.
Total Esports (TES), is the latest venture, combining the expertise in sponsorship, media and events from the traditional world of sports to the booming Esports ecosystem. TES works with top E-gaming publishers, platforms and teams in Asia.
Marcus’ ventured into the Digital start up space with SPORTSFIX, a Netflix of Sports concept in Asean. Sportsfix focus is live and on Demand content delivered via an OTT (Over the Top) platform incorporating Blockchain technology targeted towards the new generation of sports fans which heavily consume content on their mobile devices.
In early 2012, Marcus teamed up with a group of blue chip investors and Fight Sports industry experts to launch GLORY Kickboxing, the premier kickboxing League in the world. Marcus used his 20 years of experience across the global sports marketing world to start the new venture. GLORY has produced over 70 events since its inception in major cities around the world from London, New York to Tokyo and will continue to expand its reach with more events in the future, including events in China and across media platforms worldwide.
Marcus is not just an avid sports executive and fan but also gets into the action. You will see him regularly participate in Triathlons or other races across the region. He is also a member and active on the board of YPO’s (Young Presidents Organization) Malaysian Chapter since 2007.

Unmish talks us thru his 20 years of experiences and learning sitting on different sides of the table, from his time at agencies, rights holders and broadcasters.
Starting his career with TWI in the production space, great learning
Early days of New Media 1998-2000
BBC Days,  developing new media platforms, more learning experiences
ESPN/Star Sports – developing new media platforms and services for broadcast clients
New Media turns Digital
ICC (Cricket), monetizing non-linear, short form content
The different forms in Cricket, T10, T20 and the difference to other sports
Current services and projects of his own agency
What changes are we seeing in digital from Covid-19
 
About
Unmish brings a rare mix of competencies that includes multi-media content creation, video-based product development, strategy & sales coupled with a deep understanding of partnership development and cross-cultural collaboration in Asia & Europe. 
Unmish's international profile and contact networks are the result of 20 years in a leadership role at blue-chip firms such as IMG Media (Endeavour), BBC Technology, ESPN STAR Sports, Fox International Channels (FIC), News Corp., Scripps Interactive Networks (now owned by Discovery) and the International Cricket Council.   
Educated at St. Stephen's College (Delhi), Cambridge University (UK) and London Business School, Unmish promotes entrepreneurship via institutional collaborations with Jungle Ventures (as Venture Partner) and TiE Singapore (Charter Member) and also mentors startups (in MediaTech, VideoTech & SportsTech) in a personal capacity.

Jim is taking us on a great journey through the commercial world of motorsports from his humble beginnings in UK motorsports to his career in Formula 1 to Formula E now. He is one of the most creative and talented commercial guys in Motorsports I know. His thinking and approach for how to create stories and sponsorship programs works for any sports. As a “commercial guy”, I love this talk.  Anyone can sell a hot property, like the FIFA World Cup, the Team or athlete that just won a big Championship. In that space, it’s less about creativity but about managing the demand and getting top value for the client/property.  When you sell a back/mid-table team or a new franchise, you have to be a whole lot more creative and come up with new angles. Jim is a master of that.  Enjoy the lessons and give us your feedback.
 
Key Highlights
His passion for motorsports from his teens and how he got into it step by step
His knack for the commercial side of the business
His Williams F1 racing days under Sir Frank Williams, incredible learning
BMW and Williams F1 team deal, the learning and stories around it
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of deals but even the little deals count
Learning how people treat other people
Power of B2B part in sponsorship
Switch to Formula E, difficult start but as usual staying focused on the end goal always works
Difference in budgets between F1 and Formula E
How to sell Formula E, the story book, do your home work on the client
Andretti Autosport, going beyond traditional motorsports revenue
The difference between selling commercial rights for a Winning team vs others (Mahindra Formula E story)
How to sell sponsorships in the new world after Covid-19
Current plans to get Formula E back on the track
 
 
About
A marketing professional with a proven and quantifiable track record for sponsorship sales, particularly in motorsport, Jim Wright is a sports fan with a finely honed talent for creating mutually beneficial opportunities and making partnerships happen using strategic vision techniques.
 
Having started his career upon completion of a Business Studies degree, Wright moved from team management and logistics in to the commercial side of motor sport working for the fledgling ATS F1 team in 1980/81 before accepting an offer from Eddie Jordan to help grow his eponymous team.
 
Through the acquisition of team sponsorship and trade partnerships, Jordan was able to hire race winning drivers and move his team to the forefront of international racing below Formula 1. Wright was the driving force behind this strategy and he also worked with the ebullient Irishman on driver management, starting the Eddie Jordan Management business.
 
After five years with Eddie Jordan, Jim was recruited by Cellnet, then Britain’s fastest growing mobile phone network to set up and manage a strategic motor sport division of their marketing department aimed at creating awareness and commercial opportunity for Cellnet as the mobile phone market emerged in the UK. Alongside this commitment, Wright developed his own agency to service other motor sport clients including drivers, championship promoters and car constructors. This business was a great success, particularly in Japan where Wright delivered the single biggest sponsorship of the booming Japanese F3000 championship with the Promise financial services company and Reynard Racing Cars.
 
Wright’s exploits were noticed by Frank Williams and in 1994 Jim Wright was offered an opportunity to head up sponsorship sales for the Rothmans Williams Renault F1 team, an opportunity that he could not turn down. Having landed his first deal within 10 days of joining Frank’s team, Wright quickly emerged as a real force and within 14 months of joining Williams he was asked by Frank Williams to be the Head of Marketing & Sponsorship, a position that Wright held for the next 11 years. During this term, Williams created the Senior Management Group – a core of five key executives who reported to the shareholders, Frank Williams and Patrick Head through monthly Board meetings and Wright represented the company’s commercial interests at these meetings.
 
Before he left Williams in 2006, Wright was directly responsible for introducing and/or negotiating more than 200 million dollars of commercial income to the team and he built a commercial reputation for the Williams F1 team based upon principles laid down by Frank Williams of fairness, transparency honesty and integrity. Those principles endure today, both at Williams and through the Anglo Svenska operation.
 
Having worked with Gerhard Berger through the BMW partnership with Williams, Wright was recruited by Berger upon his completion of the purchase of a shareholding in the Toro Rosso F1 team and Wright moved his family to Monte Carlo to begin work on this project. When Berger sold his shareholding back to Red Bull at the end of the 2008 season, Jim was asked to work on a CSR programme with Keke and Nico Rosberg which was concluded when Virgin made Wright their first commercial hire for their start up F1 team which was awarded an F1 entry in June 2009.
 
Starting work in July 2009, Wright created a marketing team from scratch and delivered against an ambitious target of sponsorship, mostly from companies new to the sport to ensure that the team formed up on the grid in March 2010. In addition to securing the vital third party investment, Wright was responsible for directing the creation of the look & feel of the team and working with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand and other stakeholders such as Lloyds Development Capital in developing a commercial and marketing communications strategy and served on the Board of Virgin Racing / Marussia Virgin Racing between September 2009 and December 2011. Wright was responsible for the introduction of more than 35 million USD of sponsorship for the fledgling Formula 1 team over two seasons, a remarkable achievement for a new team with limited on-track performance.
Increasingly disillusioned with the rising costs of F1 and lack of commercial direction from the Commercial Rights Holder ( Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management ), Wright devoted time to pursuing other activities, transferring his skills to the non-profit sector by setting up a commercial structure for Jeremy Gilley’s Peace One Day organisation and mentoring others to achieve commercial goals for Peace One Day.
 
The creation of the FIA Formula E series for electric powertrain racing cars in 2013 proved to be of great interest to Wright who accepted an invitation from the Monaco entrepreneur Gildo Pallanca Pastor to lead the commercial aspects of his fledgling Venturi Formula E team. Wright was instrumental in convincing F1 veteran Nick Heidfeld to switch to the new racing series and Wright was able to introduce a number of technical partners to the team in ZF, Rohm Semiconductor and Farasis batteries as well as other companies such as Delta Auto.
As the Formula E series began to grow, the Teams formed a representative group ( Formula E Teams Association - FETA ) and from 2014, the Teams elected Jim Wright to serve as Secretariat working with an elected Chairman in rotation, a position that he holds to date. As the series expanded and more OEMs came on board and the business model changed from the start of the second generation car and battery, the role was increased to represent the Teams and the Manufacturers ( FETAMA ) and Wright remains in that elected position today. Nowadays, FETAMA is a well-respected stakeholder group working alongside the governing body ( FIA ) and the Promoter ( FEO ) to grow the FIA Formula E World Championship.
 
The Mahindra Formula E Team recruited Wright from Venturi in 2016 as their Chief Commercial Officer, a position that he held through to the beginning of 2019 during which time he personally introduced and / or negotiated a portfolio of sponsorship partners to offset the Mahindra & Mahindra budget spend as well as supporting Team Principal Dilbagh Gill in all commercial matters. Shell, Renesas, Avis, Umicore, Lear Corporation were major corporations which were brought on board during Wright’s tenure as they adjusted their business models for the e-mobility era.
 
In 2019, Wright accepted an offer from Michael Andretti to fill a new role, Group Commercial Director, with a brief to widen the commercial appeal of the Andretti Autosport business and to create new business opportunities for the iconic American racing team. Wright reports directly to Andretti Autosport President J.F.Thormann and he works across the Group’s motorsport platforms.

Sam takes us into a deep dive tour of the fascinating world of SINA Sports, part of Sina- Weibo Group, China’s largest Social Media group (the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram of China, all rolled into one).
 Key Highlights
China perspective on Covid-19, Sina Sports planning
Early eye on sports thru law Degree – well established route
Go back to his roots – NBA China first role in sports
China Sports Social Media 101 – Sina – Weibo (Micro Blog)
Weibo – the Twitter, Facebook, Instagram blend of China (biggest open Social Media platform in China)
Wechat – closed social media in comparison plus other functions (Whatsapp on steroids)
Business model – advertising driven, driven by large traffic
Sina Sports – how it started and where it is now
The Crazy years of Chinese Sports Media rights
Monetization of Content, Chinese learning & the same challenge everywhere
 Sina Sports three pillars :
Digital Media
Social Media
Offline Events
Offline events – owning events, IP and content (3-on-3 Basketball, Futsal and Skiing) – massive numbers
Large logistics across the whole country, over 100 stops for most of the sports, including Skiing, venturing overseas
Focus on “Mobile friendly” sports, core audience of Weibo
Events are very sponsor friendly and driven, fully integrated with their Social Media platforms
From Amateur to Elite League
His advisory roles for various groups, entrepreneurship, learning
 
About
Sam Li is the Head of International Business Strategy for Sina Sports where he is responsible for domestic and international sports rights acquisition; strategic partnerships with rights holders, teams and individual athletes; and international sponsorships and marketing.
He was previously an Associate Vice President with the National Basketball Association. Sam has a Juris Doctor degree from University of Michigan Law School and dual bachelor degrees from University of California, Los Angeles.

Having the opportunity to interview one of the true Superstars of our industry was a privilege and honour. David, is not just the well known “Super Agent” of Michael Jordan but he is truly someone who changed the face of our industry and still is at the age of 70.  Listen, learn and enjoy. Tons of wisdom in that 1.5 hours.  
 
Key Highlights
Suburb of New York upbringing and his parents influence
Always had a passion for Law & having College Basketball players as his buddies
1972, early days of Sports Agents - trying to get a meeting with Donald Dell (called him 17 times in 4 hours)
Start working for Donald for free while finishing his Law degree, just to get into the industry
At 25 big break to handle major clients, became Donald’s Chief of staff
Developing his own style of negotiations “always overprepare”
Michael Jordan and Barry Bond story about work ethics
His style of negotiations and how it changed over time (building relationships)
Negotiation is not a zero sum game, both sides need to be in the same “zone”
Being liked vs being respected
Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan deal with Nike (the real story how Air Jordan name came about)
Size of Deals during those Days (early 80s) and how he was able to craft the deal
Michael wanted Adidas and didn’t want to see Nike
His relationship with Michael now
The last Dance – new movie about Michael’s final season
1984 as a Rookie, Michael’s first commercial deals (McDonald’s, a small local deal in Chicago)
Coke, McDonald and Chevrolet – all American Image
Gatorade, break thru deal 1991 (10 years, seven figure deal)
The biggest and best deals, don’t just take cash, look for equity  
The start of FAME (David’s own agency)
A man has got to know his limitations
Marque & SFX story (now Live Nation)
You need a “walk away” point in a deal – his target was US$ 100 million
Goldman Sachs Chairman story
His SFX time, buying other smaller agencies, culture is key
SFX US$ 4.5 billion merger with Clear Channel story
Round 2 with Donald
Big agencies and the huge competition between them
Big Basketball stars, new route, family offices
Tennis prodigy story – the next Serena Williams
Learning from mistakes – Stephan Marbury story
Current Ventures, dozen different companies, X-Factory (Sports tech accelerator), etc
Never too old to learn
 
About
David Falk has long been recognized as one of the sports industry’s leading figures and most talented innovators. He is recognized as the NBA Super Agent of his time and the man behind Michael Jordan’s commercial success. A trained lawyers, he began his career representing professional athletes with ProServ in 1974, rising to Vice Chairman of the company. In 1992, he formed Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME) to provide specialized and personal representation service to the company’s elite clientele of NBA superstars. ​​During his career, Falk has represented more NBA first-round draft selections, lottery picks, Rookies-of-the-Year, and All-Stars than anyone else in the athlete management business. In 1985, he negotiated Michael Jordan’s ground-breaking deal with Nike--the most successful endorsement relationship in history--and in the process coined the nickname “Air Jordan.” Falk negotiated the highest contracts in NBA league history for Patrick Ewing in 1985 and Danny Ferry in 1990. He also negotiated professional sports’ first $100 million contract in 1996 for Alonzo Mourning as part of an unprecedented free agency period in which FAME changed the entire salary structure of the NBA, negotiating over $400 million in contracts for its free agent clients in a six-day period. ​​In 1998, Falk sold FAME to SFX Entertainment for US$ 200 million, serving on SFX’s Board of Directors and in the Office of the Chairman. As Chairman of SFX Sports Group, Falk oversaw the acquisition of a dozen sports agencies that enabled SFX to represent approximately 20 percent of MLB and NBA players. Falk stepped down as Chairman in 2001 to pursue other interests. In January 2007, Falk re-launched FAME and currently serves as its Founder and CEO.​​Falk is also involved in a dozen ventures now, both as an investor and advisor.