The European Sponsorship Association, the membership body that works to inspire better marketing across rights holders, brands and agencies, has created a strategic junior board that will work alongside the main board in an effort to provide insight, and deliver strategic direction, from a different perspective.
The Future Leaders Board has been created so that ESA can be made more aware of, and rapidly act upon, new trends and viewpoints that are brought to the organisation’s attention via a younger board. It is comprised of 12 elected representatives, all aged under 27 and who currently hold positions within sponsorship agencies, rights holders or brands.
Co-chairing this new leadership committee are Katie Cavanagh and Ashley Guymer (pictured), from the British Fashion Council and JMI respectively who, along with the other FLB members, will work with the main ESA board in order to add new areas of value to the membership.
Karen Earl, ESA chairman, said: “Our effectiveness over the past few years has been as a direct result of the work our senior leadership team has carried out but, as an organisation, we recognise and accept that the only way to continue to add value to our members is to continually strive to deliver on new objectives.”
Guymer (pictured), manager of partnership development at JMI, added: “We have an amazing opportunity here to do things differently, and to be radical whilst at the same time adhering to the established ESA principles of encouraging more engaging marketing, and raising standards across all areas of our industry.”
The ESA FLB will work independently, but alongside, the ESA board, and receive help and guidance from some of the senior directors involved in the running of the organisation. FLB activity will feed into the main strategic ESA activities, and both leadership teams will report into Earl.