Just Marketing International (JMI) forms Advisory Board
The JMI Global Advisory Board will address a whole range of business issues such as optimizing return-on-investment from marketing spends and communications issues such as media convergence, media fractionalization and rapidly changing consumer trends and preferences. The Board represents a cross-section of business sector and modern business points of view and experiences. In addition to exemplary leadership within their respective industries, the Board members have collective extensive experience in the creation and execution of substantial motorsports sponsorship platforms in Formula One, NASCAR, MotoGP, IndyCar, NHRA, Grand-Am and other major racing series.
The formation of the Board is the brain child of Zak Brown, who has been working for many months on getting the best people involved and the most effective structure and remit in place. How were the Board members selected and what will they bring to JMI? A wealth of global experience and success in their respective business fields for one. As Zak explains:
“Take Rob Malcolm as an example: retired President, Global Marketing, Sales and Innovation for Diageo, the world’s largest adult beverage company. Here’s a gentleman who represents and who has built the most successful brands in his space. He’s leveraged Formula One, NASCAR and Grand-Am as very successful platforms to build his brands. He’s an individual who knows us very well and how we operate because he has been a client. He can help bring insight into how we can operate better and ultimately serve him the client better. So to have a ‘Rob Malcom’ be able to have insight into a client’s brand, is very impressive.
“Bill Hannigan, retired president and COO of AT&T, used both NASCAR and F1 very successfully. He’s an individual that knows how to operate and is strong in business to business. Chuck Roy, the Chairman of Subway, has been a client of ours for going on eight years. He’s on the Board of a company that is hugely successful especially in these economic times, and so to have him bring his knowledge of how we can better work with a franchise system, for example, is invaluable to us.
“Mike Grainger, the retired President and COO of Ingram Micro, a fortune 50 company. Henri Richard, the former CMO and head of sales for AMD. And so the list goes on. We’ve brought together eight of the world’s business leaders and think that they will contribute not only to JMI’s growth and the growth of the people that work here but equally, if not more importantly, will contribute to the success of our client growth, which will also benefit JMI".
Grand plans and an exciting vision for the future. And most importantly a vision shared by each and every one of the Board members in turn.
Mike Lister, Former Chairman and CEO, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, has been a long time friend and mentor of JMI. “Zak asked me to join the Global Advisory Board some time ago when he explained that he was building the group", Lister explains. “I see my role really as an advisor to the company: to both Zak and his employees".
“Really, my interest in motorsport came from being a sponsor. As a kid I followed it a little bit but when you take your business into a venture you follow it intimately not only because you want to see how your investment is being used but what return you are getting from it and how. It’s really a lot of fun to do that kind of business development".
A passion for motorsport is a sentiment echoed by each and every one of the Board members. Whether it’s an attachment borne from childhood or an interest cultivated through their business dealings, each member has a passion for the sport that matches Zak Brown’s own. Chuck Roy, Chairman of Subway, is a long time client of JMI with an impressive history in motorsports sponsorship. Like the others, Roy’s passion for motorsport and business combine with the Board:
“I got a call from Zak six or eight months ago asking me to join the Board", Roy explains." Like everyone I have a tremendous passion for motorsport and I thought this would be a great opportunity to become more involved. I’ve had a passion for motorsports since I was a child. It’s been part of my life for 42 years so this is a very exciting opportunity for me".
John Hodgson, retired CMO of Dupont, echoes that love of the sport: “I’m a gear head. I understand how engines run but I also understand why customers buy. If you bring together a powerful brand with an innate interest in motorsports, I think a good thing can happen.
“I’m one of a group of people that have a diverse range of experiences that relate to motorsports. Having worked with Jeff Gordon for 13 years, I have a good understanding of motorsports sponsorship. You develop a perspective on how to gain value through sports sponsorship so I see myself contributing there".
“I have been passionate about motorsports for all of my life", adds Henri Richard, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Freescale Semiconductor. “Being involved within the IT industry I was always struck by the fact that information technology is an integral part of motorsport but one that is not always well communicated to the fans and well leveraged by the industry. In joining the Global Advisory Board I saw an opportunity to join those two worlds together, those two passions of mine: My business and my personal passion, and try to build a stronger bridge between the two worlds of IT and motorsport".
Each member of the Board has the passion and the drive to succeed. So, what is the immediate future for the Board? It is early days but already the sense of possibility is palpable. Each member brings a particular skill set to the table. Whether it’s domestic or International, business to business, grounded in FMCGs or technology, there’s a wealth of opinion and expertise at JMI’s fingertips. Bill Hannigan, retired CEO of AT&T explains some of the ways in which the Board will work:
“I see my role as being helpful to the JMI leadership team and certainly networking other key executives round the globe and being a reference for the great work that JMI can do. I have experience in my past lives, whether it’s online or telecommunications, of having run very large technology companies and understanding the implications of where technology fits, working in the large business to business arena with other global companies and I look forward to bringing that to JMI.
Bryan Moss, retired President Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, has an equally positive view of the Board’s new future. As he explains:
“What will my role be? I may flatter myself but I’ve been at this a long time and I have a number of relationships and contacts that I hope I am able to use constructively for the benefit of JMI. I think that JMI is at a very very interesting point within its history. Right now I think it’s beautifully poised to continue to grow in the motorsports industry. I think they have a great team, great leadership and frankly I’m just proud to have the opportunity to contribute in some fashion."
Clearly 2009 looks set to be an exciting year for Just Marketing International. New Business wins at the back end of the year mean growth in a tough climate and with the Global Advisory Board on board, JMI’s Insider advantage is strengthening apace. When asked why the future of motorsports is so exciting, Henri Richard sums JMI’s motivation up perfectly and as such, we leave the last word to him: “No one likes to lose. Nobody remembers who’s second. It’s true in sales. It’s true in Business. It’s true in racing." It’s that sentiment that drives Zak and all his staff to succeed.
Meet the Board
MICHAEL J GRAINGER, President and Chief Operating Officer, Ingram Micro*
Michael J. Grainger retired in 2004 from the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of Ingram Micro Inc. Ingram Micro, which is listed on the NYSE, is the world’s largest technology distributor and a leading technology, sales, marketing and logistics company. Grainger served as President since 2001. Prior to that he was the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1996, when he led its Initial Public Offering.
WILLIAM J. HANNIGAN, President and Chief Operating Officer, AT&T*
Bill Hannigan is the former president and Chief Operating Officer of AT&T (NYSE:T). Hannigan was responsible for AT&T’s global network, engineering, operations and the AT&T labs. He was also responsible for sales, marketing and customer service for AT&T’s business, government and wholesale customers worldwide. Prior to joining AT&T in late 2003 he was chairman and CEO of Sabre holdings, an S&P 500 company and world leader in travel, commerce, distribution and technology. He was also Chairman of the Board for Travelocity.com.
JOHN C. HODGSON, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, DuPont*
Hodgson enjoyed 40+ successful years with E.I DuPont & Co. His career with the company began in 1966 when he became part of the X-Ray Sales and Marketing Management team. From there Hodgson assumed the role of Business Management for Electronic Materials and then Diagnostic Systems, based in Geneva, Switzerland until 1984.In 1984 Hodgson moved to a Global Business Management role, becoming a Vice President and General Manager in 1996. In 1998 he became a Group Vice President and a member of the Operating Team, DuPont’s senior leadership group and then Executive Vice President and member of the Office of the Chief Executive in 2002.In 2003 Hodgson was appointed Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, and member of the Office of the Chief Executive, where he remained until his retirement in 2006.
MICHAEL D. LISTER, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Serviceâ€
Lister recently left Jackson Hewitt Tax Service as its Chairman and CEO. He joined the Cendant Corporation that wholly owned the JTX brand in September of 1999 as the Chief Operating Officer, charged with rebuilding the flagging brand. Within two years, Lister took the reins of the brand as its President, completely reforming the company’s marketing strategy, overhauling and transforming its technology platform and in the process buying the entire Arthur Anderson Technology team and software assets. In short, he completely rehired an entire corporate workforce to lead the company to national prominence. Today, Jackson Hewitt is the nation’s second largest tax preparation firm growing from 2600 offices in 1999 to over 6500 offices in 2007 and dramatically increasing revenue and earnings over that period.
ROBERT M. MALCOLM, President, Global Marketing, Sales and Innovation, Diageo PLC*
Robert (Rob) Malcolm was appointed President – Global Marketing, Sales and Innovation of Diageo Plc, the global premium drinks company, in September 2000. He joined Diageo in 1999 and his previous appointments at the company include Global Marketing Director and Global Scotch Whiskey Director at UDV, a Diageo company. He was appointed to his current position in 2000.
BRYAN MOSS, President, Gulfstream Aerospace*
Bryan Moss became President Emeritus of Gulfstream Aerospace on April 9, 2007, following a four year appointment as President of the company and Executive Vice President, Aerospace group, General Dynamics Corporation. Prior to this appointment he had served as Vice Chairman of the company since he joined in March 1995.In 1966, Moss joined the Lockheed-Georgia Company, where he was assigned to the engineering administrative group. In 1968 he moved to JetStar Sales, becoming Sales Manager in 1975. In 1978 he became Sales Manager, Asia/Australasia, for various Lockheed aircraft.
HENRI RICHARD, Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Freescale Semiconductor Inc.
Mr. Richard has held various senior management positions in Europe with leading companies in the IT industry, including Vice President-EMEA Strategic accounts with Seagate Technology, and Vice President and Managing Director-Europe, Middle East and Africa for Conner Peripherals. Previously, he was Vice President of Marketing with Metrologie International, Asnieres, France, and Chief Executive Officer with Informatique Haute Performance, Paris, France, a company he founded.
Mr. Richard was Vice President Sales & Support WW Distribution & E-Business, IBM Technology Group, and was a member of IBM's top 300 executives group. He also was Executive Vice President, WW Field Operations for WebGain, a privately held software company delivering Enterprise development tools. He later joined Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) where he became Executive Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer.
He is currently Senior Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Freescale Semiconductor, a world leader in the embedded semi-conductor industry.
CHUCK ROY, Chairman, Global Chainwide Board, SUBWAY
Chairman, COMB (Canadian Operators Marketing Board), SUBWAY
Roy has been serving on the Global Chainwide Board for the SUBWAY Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust since 2003 and was elected Chairman in 2008. He has been working for SUBWAY since 1987 as a Multi-Unit Franchisee.In 2000 he became Chairman of COMB, the Canadian Operators Board for SUBWAY restaurants. He is also the Chairman of the Global Chainwide Board for SUBWAY. Roy has served on the SUBWAY Board since 2003, initially joining as the Canadian Representative. In 2006 he became Treasurer of the Board and Vice-Chair in 2007.
* Retired
†Former
Q&A with Zak Brown, CEO and Founder of Just Marketing International:
What is the thinking behind the formation of the Global Advisory Board?
We’ve had a fantastic group of mentors over the years, all business leaders in their respective fields, who have a passion for motorsports and most importantly success in motorsports. We felt it was important to bring together a group of people that can help be the think tank for where motorsports needs to go commercially from a different point of view, one from companies that have sponsored different forms of motorsports in the past. We’ve brought together eight of the world’s business leaders and think that they will contribute not only to JMI’s growth and the growth of the people that work here but equally, if not more importantly, will contribute to the success of our client growth, which will also benefit JMI.
What will the duties of the Board be?
We’re really looking for them to help us identify trends, help us with relationship building, share knowledge and share experience. Essentially they will be our focus group. We are going to go to them with issues, ours, our clients and motorsports and be able to table those and get diverse opinions from experts and successful individuals. We’ll be able to take that on as a company and apply that intelligence to both our business and our clients business.
How was the Board selected?
I’ve selected a group of individuals that I’ve known for many years. I trust them, they trust us and they have been successful in the sport and are successful business people. It’s a diverse group. We have people with international backgrounds, who have consumer package goods backgrounds, business to business backgrounds. So as you look across the group there’s not a business sector that’s not covered, a geography that’s not covered. It would make no sense to bring together eight people with the same opinions so we’re got diversity in the group meaning we get varying perspective on any issues we put in front of them.
What will the Board bring to JMI?
I think that they are going to benefit JMI through their years of experience and ultimately contribute to our thinking, our relationships, our marketing efforts and helping build our brand. Again, I think you can do that by building JMI’s clients and their brands. We’re here to service our clients' needs and help them use motorsports as a valuable marketing tool. So, the more success they have the more success we have. Ultimately, we see this Board as being able to benefit JMI and our clients.
Do any other agencies or companies have anything similar to this?
The Board is something that I believe is unique to JMI. I’m not aware of any other companies or group having a collective group of world leaders in a space such as this. I believe this is ground breaking and I hope that industry leaders can come to us to discuss issues in a public and in a private manner and vet out any ideas that they have. In that way I think it is a Board that it will be a benefit to the industry as well as to JMI and to our clients.
Do you think that the Board will help JMI gain an Insider Advantage?
Absolutely. I think that the fact that we have a Board demonstrates our Insider Advantage. What other group or agency could pull together eight leaders in their respective spaces in this way?
How will the Board work?
This is a team to help drive our leadership and our thinking so they will have specific duties both individually and collectively. They will assist us and our clients in everything that we do. Whether it’s our marketing plan, our clients marketing plans, or relationships and business to business. Any ideas that we want to surface and get some third party opinions, they are going to be engaged. Really, it’s just formalizing what they have already been doing for us for years. It’s new that it’s been formalized but we’ve been getting these Board members to give us inside experience for many years and now we’re trying to formalize it and make it more available, not just to myself but to the Leadership Team, the staff at JMI and our clients.
The Board members all have a lot in common. They are all extremely experienced and successful but all extremely busy. How were you able to convince them to join the Board?
These are extremely busy individuals and I’m honored to have them join our Board. They all have a passion for motorsports and they all have a passion for business and success. These are individuals who just because they are retired do not think they are done contributing so they are happy to help contribute to our success. I think we’ve found a group of individuals who are very passionate about this and who are really going to contribute to what we are hoping to achieve with this because of personal satisfaction not because of financial game.
It’s just been recognized that the US is officially in the midst of recession yet JMI have just added a number of new clients to its portfolio. How are you able to achieve this in such a climate?
I think we’re working hard and working smart and the Board is a good example of ways in which we’re trying to be different and reach out. People still want to spend money but they want to sweat their currency, whether that’s a dollar, a euro or a pound, as hard as possible so we’re trying to bring in brain trust to show that motorsports is really a fantastic platform. LG has just made a massive commitment to the sport: They see it as a differentiator. While some companies are pulling back, now is the time that they can gain market share. It’s harder to find sponsorship dollars right now but I think we’re ahead of the curve in that trend and we’re got our head down and are working hard. I’ve seen easier times, I’ve seen difficult times and you persevere through both.
What should the motorsport world expect from Just Marketing International in 2009?
I think you’ll continue to see us be the leaders. We want to continue to contribute to the success of motorsport as a whole. Obviously the sponsorship that we bring to the sport through our clients is good for the sport and keeps it healthy. I think you can count on us being a leader, an innovator and building on the success we have already had.