This is a special edition episode of Inside Sponsorship episode which focuses on Rugby Union. The topic our guests are discussing is “The Sponsorship Pathway – Are You Sponsorship Ready?” which is a panel discussion at the World Rugby Conference and Exhibition in London this month.
In this episode, we sit down and chat with SponServe Managing Director Mark Thompson and Fiona Taag, Global Sponsorship Manager at DHL Express.
Following working in the UK for six years in various roles, Fiona Taag first joined DHL in 2005 as Marketing Manager in New Zealand and later moved to Bahrain as Middle East & North Africa Marketing Manager. She then returned to New Zealand to manage the DHL Express global sponsorship of RWC 2011.
In 2012, she joined the Deutsche Post DHL Group head office in Germany, as Global Sponsorship Manager, and again had the opportunity to manage DHL’s partnership of RWC 2015. She currently manages global partnerships for DHL Express including the World Rugby Sevens Series, Manchester United, MotoGP, Cirque du Soleil, Exhibitionism – The Rolling Stones and The Grand Tour, as well as assisting colleagues to activate Formula 1, Fashion, Formula E and local partnerships.
You can learn more about and connect with Fiona at www.dhl.com and LinkedIn
We also talk to Mark Thompson. Regular listeners of the show will know Mark Thompson well as SponServe’s MD and co-founder. For those new to the show, Mark started his career in the industry as a Rugby Union player manager before becoming General Manager of Warringah Rugby who reside in one of the largest Rugby participation bases in the southern hemisphere.
Mark then became Sponsorship Manager at Brumbies Rugby who participate in the Super Rugby competition where he was responsible for the service delivery, procurement and acquittal of all sponsors who made up a portfolio in excess of $4.5M.
Mark has held various other fundraising and marketing roles, including at the Australian Sports Foundation, before he co-founded SponServe, the world’s first sponsorship software solution that streamlines and enhances sponsorship servicing and inventory management.
You can learn more about and connect with Mark at www.sponserve.net and LinkedIn
Enjoy.
