Experience

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In my first week living in London, I stopped at a pub one evening for fish, chips and a little footy. After hearing my accent, the waiter asked me where I was from and I proudly offered, “Canada!”. 

He paused and asked seriously: “True or false: Brett The Hitman Hart is the most famous Canadian in the world?” The question rendered me speechless, but the conversation revealed an insight I haven’t lost sight of since:

Sport connects with people from every walk of life on a scale that few if any forms of entertainment, or even journalism, are capable. 

It’s not a coincidence that the world’s political superpowers sit atop the medal tables at every Olympic Games- they understand that sport is an ambassador that can shape a country's perception to the rest of the world.

At IMG Sports & Entertainment in New York, I managed marketing and new program development for IMG Academies, Bollettieri Tennis Academy and tennis legend Chris Evert’s Evert Tennis Academy. I was immersed in the processes, curricula and facilities that have transformed boys and girls from around the world into some of the best-known professional athletes on the planet. 

That experience prepared me for my work in IMG London where I helped launch the sports leagues, events, academies and media partnerships that IMG was building for the world’s next economic superpowers: China and India.

I researched cultures and customs so that I understood how properties, like Indian Premier League cricket (IPL), could create a foothold and flourish. With the support of local partners, we sowed the seeds that continue to create athletes and fans that could not exist a decade ago.

After years abroad, I returned home to Canada to manage special marketing projects for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, which has provided over 2 million underprivileged children with financial support and access to organized sports. I learned how to shift from a strategy of influence over millions of people, down to tactical plans at the community level. 

My belief in the importance of sport development is the reason I created Green Grass Consulting: I want to help sports organizations fill the fields, courts and arenas that create tomorrow's ambassadors to the world.