Premier League Football Club appoint VP Partnership Marketing & Operations to evolve partnership delivery and impact.
Overview
From time to time, confidential searches are required, and these are handled with discretion and care. For this search, EISG was engaged by a Premier League Football Club to appoint a senior leader to build on an already best-in-class partnership model and take it even further.
Challenge
The organisation is widely recognised for delivering some of the most effective and innovative partnerships in global sport. The objective was to appoint a partnerships expert capable of reviewing, challenging and advancing this established model.
The role required a candidate with a strong brand-side perspective, combining creativity with commercial rigour. Experience across the full partnership lifecycle was essential, from evaluation and negotiation through to activation, measurement and long-term impact.
Solution
Having previously partnered with EISG, the organisation engaged the team to deliver a consultative and insight-led search. A detailed market analysis was completed prior to launch, mapping talent across brands, agencies and rights holders to identify where the strongest partnership expertise existed.
EISG’s Davey Blofield led the search. Drawing on extensive experience across the commercial sports landscape, he identified the most relevant talent pools and assessed candidates beyond their roles and organisations. The focus was on how individuals had delivered impact, influenced stakeholders and created measurable value through partnerships.
“It was about going beyond titles and sectors. I focused on understanding how each candidate had actually delivered impact — how they made things better, faster, more effective. That’s what mattered most in a role like this.”
– Davey Blofield, Consultant, EISG
Outcome
The successful candidate brought a comprehensive understanding of the partnerships ecosystem, with experience spanning strategy, creative development, negotiation and performance measurement. Their ability to combine brand thinking with commercial delivery positioned them strongly to build on the organisation’s existing success.
A total of 53 candidates were approached, with 26 progressing to screening and seven shortlisted for the role. Three candidates advanced to final interview stage, with the process completed in 18 weeks.
Of the three candidates who reached final interview stage, two were considered exceptional, demonstrating the strength and depth of the shortlist delivered. The final appointment reflects both the quality and precision of the search process.
Want to know more?
This search was led by EISG’s Davey Blofield. To discuss how Davey can support your organisation in identifying top talent, please email db@eisg.com