Four months after joining the U.S. Olympic Committee as chief marketing officer, Rick Burton is shaking up the organization’s sales and marketing staff, splitting it into three divisions for sponsorship sales and servicing, brand marketing and property development.
Each division will be overseen by an executive who reports to Burton. Former Portland Trail Blazers CMO Declan Bolger will oversee sponsorship sales and servicing; John Pierce, former USOC director of research and brand management, will oversee brand marketing; and Susan Goldsmith, former USOC director of partnership marketing, will oversee property development.
Bolger will join the Colorado Springs staff as managing director of partnership marketing March 1. He brings more than 20 years of sports marketing experience, including time with the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. In his new role, he eventually will manage a group of eight to 10 employees who will be responsible for selling and servicing sponsorships.
“I need to be sure we have more focus and attention on our partners so that we provide more value, and Declan brings in a huge skill set in an area I think we can look forward to growing in,” Burton said.
Pierce, who joined the USOC in July 2006, oversaw the organization’s recent rebranding effort, which culminated in the “Amazing Awaits” campaign that launched last summer. His new role as managing director of marketing will see him work on the USOC’s brand image.
“It’s hard some days to get people excited about a committee,” Burton said. “While this is a formative period, I think it’s an area we need to look at so that when you say, ‘USOC,’ it resonates the same way as the NFL or NBA.”
Goldsmith will work with the USOC’s existing properties: the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame induction dinner, Junior Olympic Skills and the Olympic trials. She will work to make those properties larger while also creating new properties.
Burton developed the new organizational structure over the last couple of months. When he arrived, the USOC had separate sales and servicing groups. He saw inefficiencies there and wanted to bring those efforts under a singular focus.
“Some things won’t change,” Burton said. “Really, it’s just adding more firepower.”
