Lisa Baird
Chiefmarketing officer
U.S.Olympic Committee
Promoting the U.S. Olympic team isn’t the same as promoting the NFL, as Baird did when she was the league’s senior vice president of consumer products and marketing. There are 40 different sports and thousands of athletes. Baird will be tasked with promoting more than 200 of them this year before the Vancouver Games, and she’ll have to do it in tough economic times with fewer sponsors supporting her than the USOC had in 2006.
Dave Cobb
ExecutiveVP, revenue, marketing and communications
Vancouver2010
The revenue projections in the Vancouver bid book tasked the organizing committee with raising $365 million in sponsorship revenue. Cobb was the one who led the effort to double that to $680 million over the last five years. How he reaches that goal, keeps sponsors happy and deals with any economic mishaps, like Nortel’s bankruptcy or General Motors’ struggles, will be critical this year.
Gianpiero Morbello
Vicepresident, marketing and branding
Acer
Taiwanese computer-maker Acer, as of now, will be the only global partner activating at its first Olympics in Vancouver. Morbello will be overseeing the company’s Olympic program, and the success of its activation will go a long way to determining the company’s long-term commitment as an Olympic partner.
Tom Laurie
Manager of Olympic partnership
General Motors, Canada
With GM in financial trouble, many have wondered if the company will stay committed to its Vancouver 2010 sponsorship. The better question might be: How will GM market its sponsorship and make the most of that asset? Laurie will be on the front line answering that question for the company over the next year.
Rene Fasel
Coordination commission chairman
International Olympic Committee
Compared to Beijing Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen, the job Fasel is tasked with is a walk in the park. So far there have been no environmental or human rights protests around Vancouver and all of the venues have been completed. Still, Fasel is charged with keeping smooth relations between Vancouver 2010 and the IOC, which is never a sure thing for any organizing committee and the IOC.
— Compiled by Tripp Mickle
