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Recently completed searches:  President & CEO, Chicago Bears  •  Technical Director, Tottenham Hotspur  •  Chief Commercial Officer, Newcastle United  •  Head of Performance, The Football Association  •  Club Doctor, Liverpool  •  Chief Commercial Officer, Southampton  •  Head of Injury Management, City Football Group  •  Sporting Director, Blackpool FC  •  Independent Non Executive Director, The English Football Association  •  CEO and Executive Director, USTA  •  CEO, DAZN Group (DACH)  •  Chief Marketing Officer, Columbia Sportswear  •  Chief People & Diversity Officer, US Soccer  •  Chief People & Diversity Officer, Detroit Lions  •  Chief Revenue Officer, Minnesota Twins  •  Chief Ticketing Officer, Washington Commanders  •  Head of Sales, Religion of Sports  •  CMO, Columbia Sportswear  •  Senior Vice President, Stadium Operations, Washington Commanders  •  Head of HR, NBA Asia  •  Chief Executive, Vancouver Whitecaps  •  Chief Operating Officer, House of Athlete  •  General Manager, Houston Dynamo  •  VP Diversity & Inclusion, Seattle Seahawks    CMO, Major League Baseball    Director of Youth Development, AS Monaco    Women’s Head Coach, Arsenal    CEO (Président Exécutif & Directeur Général), ESTAC (City Football Group)   Managing Director of Europe, NFL    Sporting Director, Aston Villa    Performance Director, LTA  •  Sporting Director, AS Monaco    Chief Revenue Officer, Inter Milan    Director of Propositions Development TV and Sport, BT  •  Vice President of Strategy and Analytics, Milwaukee Brewers    Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Phoenix Suns    Vice President, Brand of Indiana Pacers 

Nolan Partners has been helping sports, media, and entertainment clients find talented leadership and performance executives for 15 years. Our Partners have completed more than 1,000 placements across six continents and 30 sports. This gives us unrivalled experience and reputation in senior level Executive Search in this industry. Here are just some of the clients we work with…

Sports - corporate

Our knowledge in this sector is unparalleled. We deliver results for rights holders, sporting clubs, governing bodies, professional leagues, venues, sponsors and corporate organisations in a wide range of sports and international arenas.

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Sports - performance

Nolan Partners Performance Practice sources specialist technical / performance candidates from a global pool. We work with world famous clubs, teams, governing bodies, federations and leagues to identify top performance talent.

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Media & Entertainment

Our strong track record spans the converging media, gaming and content and Entertainment sectors, working with global NASDAQ and FTSE clients, VC’s, broadcasters, gaming operators and technology businesses.

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WHAT WE DO

We take decades of experience, add industry-leading research and use our global reach to find outstanding talent for our clients; talent that fits the culture of the organisation and will make a real difference.

“Besides the strong talent pool, I perhaps valued most their ability to be true consultants with whom I could mentally spar about the structure and the overall industry… I can strongly say you’re considering the right firm.”

Danny Sillman, Chief Executive Officer of Relevent

“Over the last two years we have worked with Nolan Partners on the appointment of a Sporting Director, a Main Board Non-Executive Director and a number of other senior management appointments. We have found them extremely thorough, professional and good fun to work with. We believe they are the number one firm in sports recruitment and would recommend them to any Sports organisation to handle their senior appointments.”

 

Paul Barber
Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club

“We’ve partnered with Nolan Partners several times and look forward to working with them again. They are trusted advisors.”

Crane Kenney
President of Chicago Cubs

“Nolan Partners is outstanding. They placed our CEO at USA Cycling. They were a pleasure to work with. Nolan Partners has a superior scope and track record in sports and entertainment.”

Bob Stapleton
Former Board Chair of USA Cycling

“Nolan Partners / Excel Sports Management have been key partners in our transformation and success. They are real partners, inherently collaborative professionals who truly listen. This allows them to tailor their approach and find candidates who can thrive in our unique circumstances. Together, we’ve hired top leadership across marketing, revenue, legal, and stadium operations. They are my go-to partner on senior leadership and I’ve never doubted that they had the success of my organization as their main priority.”

Jason Wright
President, Washington Commanders

“We could not be more delighted in the process. The search was rigorous, organized, thorough, and efficient. Nolan Partners’ management of the search committee and the board was immaculate. We could not be more enthused with our selection. Diversity was obviously just as important to them as it was to us. We were also impressed with their geographic breadth: Nolan Partners attracted and assessed candidates in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. I highly recommend Nolan Partners for your next search.”

Barry Siff
Former Board President, USA Triathlon

“Nolan Partners helped us hire our CEO / Sporting Director. Their expertise and knowledge is first-rate. We were thrilled with the process, thoroughness, communication, and outcomes.”

Greg Kerfoot, Majority Owner of Vancouver Whitecaps

“I tell everyone that the search we did together was the best recruitment of talent in my career.”

Stacey Allaster
Chief Executive, Professional Tennis

“I’ve worked with Nolan Partners on multiple searches across verticals and properties. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.”

Al Guido, President of San Francisco 49ers and CEO of Elevate

“Nolan Partners have earned the position as our go to firm. they’ve distinguished themselves by really listening to our needs and objectives and translating that input into the presentation of compelling slates of candidates.”

Larry S Freedman
Co-President and Chief Business Officer, Los Angeles Football Club

“Nolan Partners is world-class. They have served as both recruiters and business consultants for our most critical roles. Nolan Partners has helped us fill key leadership roles across partnerships, strategy, and marketing, most recently assisting us in hiring our Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer. We are delighted with the outcome and look forward to future searches with Nolan Partners.”

Dave Jenkins
Chief Operating Officer of Haslam Sports Group (Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew)
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