Billy Hogan
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Signs of the wider plan behind the departure of Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool FC have started to emerge with the hand of its American owners clearly shown in two key appointments.
The Reds announced that Billy Hogan is to be given the job of “Chief Commercial Officer”, effectively replacing former Commercial Manager Graham Bartlett.
Since Bostonian John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group bought the club 18 months ago, Anfield has witnessed the departure of Director of Football Damien Comolli, Chief Medical Officer Peter Bruckner, Communications Director Ian Cotton, and Commercial Manager Bartlett.
Former Nike executive Bartlett lasted only a year and this is taken by many as a sign that FSG are impatient to see revenues increase in order to service the cost of its investment.
It means Hogan is the man who has the tough job of converting Liverpool’s immense reach as a world brand into hard cash, following a period in which performance on the pitch has been classed by many as unacceptable.
In a statement Liverpool FC said:-
Hogan will work closely with Liverpool’s Managing Director Ian Ayre and according to a Club statement he will be responsible for all club-controlled revenue and business development, including sponsorships, ticketing and hospitality, retail and merchandise, club memberships, club tours and friendlies as well as Liverpool FC’s Soccer Schools.
Prior to joining Liverpool FC, Billy served as Managing Director for Fenway Sports Management (FSM) with responsibility for the company’s day-to-day business operations and strategic growth. FSM is the global sponsorship sales arm of Fenway Sports Group, whose properties include Liverpool Football Club, the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network (NESN) and Roush Fenway Racing. Hogan’s responsibilities at FSM consisted of securing high-level sponsorships for the Boston Red Sox including assisting in the development of an impressive client roster of leading national brands, such as LeBron James/LRMR Marketing Branding, Boston College Athletics, and PGA TOUR Playoff event the Deutsche Bank Championship. Hogan also oversaw all online sales activities for Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the online and interactive media division of MLB.com and MLB’s 30 individual club websites.
Ian Ayre, Managing Director, said: “The role of Chief Commercial Officer is a key role for the Club as we continue to grow our commercial activity on a global basis and we were keen to appoint the right candidate who will be able to take the Club to the next level of its development. Having worked at a senior level within Fenway Sports Management, Billy has been working alongside LFC for the last 18 months on a number of partnership projects and brings with him a rich pedigree of expertise and resource. In many respects this appointment reflects the great spirit of partnership between all of the Fenway Sports Group and LFC.”
In his first year with FSM, Hogan oversaw sponsorship sales for its first client, Boston College Athletics, tripling the Eagles’ revenue, inked a major deal with CVS/pharmacy for Green Monster signage at Fenway Park and secured a multi-year/multi-property sponsorship agreement with Waste Management. While at FSM, Hogan also directed many other notable initiatives including conceiving and executing Football at Fenway, a historic soccer match at Boston’s Fenway Park featuring perennial Scottish Premier League contender Celtic Football Club and the Sporting Clube de Portugal; the Winter Classic, the National Hockey League’s storied outdoor tradition, held at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010; and Sun Life Frozen Fenway, the first-ever outdoor college hockey doubleheader. In January 2012, Hogan secured the second annual Sun Life Frozen Fenway, a 16-day ice hockey event featuring a number of college, high school and community hockey games as well as two free community skate days. Most recently, Billy played a key role in helping to establish the Warrior kit deal for Liverpool, and helped coordinate its upcoming North America summer tour.
“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Ian and Liverpool’s talented executive team for more than a year, and it’s truly an honor for me to now lead the business development efforts for the most successful club in English football history,” said Hogan. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the passion and loyalty that fans have for this club and I look forward to working with the staff, partners and future sponsors to grow and develop Liverpool’s brand and commercial presence globally to help ensure the long-term growth of this storied club.”
Hogan joined FSM in 2004 as the company’s first official hire after two years as Director of Sponsorship Sales at ANC Sports. Prior to that, he served as Director of Film Distribution at Giant Screen Films. At Giant, he was responsible for the widest distribution of any film in the company’s history when he successfully marketed “Michael Jordan to the Max” to more than 75 percent of IMAX Theaters Worldwide.
Liverpool also announced that Jen Chang will take up the position as the Club’s Corporate Relations and Communications Director – replacing Ian Cotton.
A Club statement said:-
Chang will take up his new position on Monday 11th June 2012 and will be based in Liverpool.
He joins Liverpool from Sports Illustrated where he was the Senior Editor for football-related content at SI.com in New York. Previously at ESPN, he was responsible for the day to day content and strategic direction of ESPN.com’s football section. Prior to working in media, Chang also had extensive experience in the finance sector working for investment banking and private equity firms.
Jen grew up in England and attended the University of London (Queen Mary). He also has graduate degrees from both Cambridge University (Queens’ College) and the London School of Economics.
Ian Ayre, Managing Director said: “Jen brings a depth and range of valuable international communications experience gained over the past 15 years and we are delighted to welcome him to Liverpool. Jen will join the Club’s Executive Management Team and play a key role in supporting Liverpool as we optimize the LFC brand on a global scale.”
Jen Chang added: “I’m privileged to be offered the opportunity to join the Communications Department at LFC, a Club with an unparalleled tradition and heritage. I’ve been impressed by the vision outlined by the Fenway Sports Group and am honoured to be part of the process as the Club moves forward.”
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