Nielsen Sports appoints Australians to global leadership team

Nielsen has undergone a significant restructure following its acquisition of Repucom in June this year, making several new appointments including five Australian executives in their global leadership team.

The appointments see Australians Danny Townsend and Glenn Lovett named as co-Managing Directors for the company’s global sports division, Nielsen Sports, which provides data-led solutions and commercial advice to over 1700 clients worldwide.

Townsend and Lovett will oversee the business including all global operations and revenue, reporting to Howard Appelbaum who leads Nielsen’s Global Sports and Entertainment practice.

Townsend and Lovett joined Nielsen in June 2016 following the acquisition of Repucom, where they served as Chief Revenue Officer and President of Global Strategy, respectively.

Townsend was Repucom’s first employee when it launched in Sydney in 2004 and has been instrumental in expanding the business in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He will be largely responsible for driving revenue for Nielsen Sports.

Lovett joined Repucom in 2013, contributing leadership and consulting experience, having led the company to become a trusted advisor to industry leaders worldwide. Previous to Repucom, Lovett served as Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and India for Octagon, and also held positions at Booz Allen Hamilton and Nike.

Commenting on the appointments, Appelbaum stated “we are building something very special at Nielsen Sports, and Danny and Glenn’s impeccable commitment and leadership will help grow the global footprint of this exciting business.

“Under their leadership and driven by Nielsen’s vast measurement capabilities, our team of subject matter experts will empower clients to make smarter and better business decisions and will take sports intelligence to the next level.”

In addition to the appointment of Townsend and Lovett, three regional commercial roles have been announced including Guy Port taking on the role of Regional Head of Commercial for Asia-Pacific.

Shane Mattiske who will now be the sole Managing Director leading the Australian and New Zealand business.

Michael Tange will also assume a new role as Global Head of Strategy and Solutions across the wider Entertainment division.

Tange  joined Repucom in 2005 and has worked across a wide range of functions in sports and entertainment, most recently as SVP for Leagues in North America.

Nielsen Sports will also be expanding its global offerings with the introduction and restructure of its functional capabilities. Mike Wragg will lead the research team as Global Head of Research, Alexandre Callay will lead the Media division as Global Head of Media, and Max Barnett will become Global Head of Digital.

The company has also been commissioned by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) to provide research solutions for two key Australian sporting events - the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix.

According to Ned Morris, Director of Business Solutions, Nielsen Sports, the AGPC are keen to get greater insights into their events.

Morris stated “for a long time now the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and Formula 1®Grand Prix have been two of the premier events on the Victorian and Australian sporting calendar.

“We’ll be looking at what attracts domestic and international visitors to attend the two events and perhaps more importantly, how to continually broaden the appeal of these events to a wider audience."

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