Gatorade Senior VP Jeff Urban Leaving; Storms To Assume Role
By Terry Lefton, Editor-At-Large
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Jeff Urban Resigns As Gatorade
Senior VP/Sports Marketing |
JEFF URBAN has resigned as Senior VP/Sports Marketing at Pepsi’s Gatorade Brand, effective immediately. Company staffers were told last week. While a consolidation of sports marketing departments between Gatorade and parent Pepsi has long been rumored, Urban said that effort was "not very far along" and was not a factor in his decision. “It’s bittersweet because Gatorade is, and always will be, a brand that’s a sports-marketing pioneer,” said Urban. “But after 10 years, I just decided it was time to look around and see what my next step is.” Turner Sports Senior VP/Marketing & Programming JENNY STORMS is replacing Urban. Storms is an SBJ/SBD Forty Under 40 Hall of Famer. She was the first female VP/Marketing & Programming at Turner Sports, where she has worked since '95. Urban, a regular in sports-marketing circles, has been with Gatorade since '99. He was named to his current position in March '07, after TOM FOX left that post. Prior to his decade with Gatorade, Urban worked for Chicago promo agency Frankel as VP/ Sports & Entertainment Marketing. From '91-98, he was Dir of Sports Marketing at USA Today. He has also held sports marketing slots with Cato Johnson Sports Marketing, the Orioles and the White Sox. MLB Senior VP/Corporate Sales & Marketing JOHN BRODY said of Urban, "We worked together for over a decade, and Jeff was always passionate on behalf of both of our brands, supported our marketing initiatives and was as results-oriented as any partner we've had."
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