MOS Corporation, the owner of Ministry of Sport, has appointed former Lion Sponsorship Manager, David Bruhn, as Head of Commercial, Partnerships.
In the newly formed role, Bruhn will be responsible for overseeing the organisation’s commercial strategy, partnerships, sponsorships, stadium management, and sports business relationships.
Commenting on his appointment, Bruhn, said: “MOS Corporation is a fast-growing and inspiring collection of brands at the helm of the sports business community. I’m delighted to be at the forefront of helping brands, sporting bodies, teams and athletes, ensuring they go from strength to strength and make their mark on the sporting business world.”
Ministry of Sport and MOS Corporation founder and CEO, Ben Parsons, added: “David’s extensive experience managing some of Australia’s most iconic sporting partnerships will very much complement MOS Corporation’s strategic direction. Dave will play a key role in leading the commercial growth of our business as we continue to grow and deliver our world class and well-known sporting summits, sporting business news and sporting partnerships, all aimed at assisting the growth of the sporting business community, globally.”
Bruhn brings with him 13 years of experience at Lion, where he served as the Sponsorship Manager for XXXX Brewery, where he played a key role in managing some of Queensland’s most iconic partnerships, including Queensland’s State of Origin, Brisbane Lions, Queensland Reds, Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Racing Club, Gold Coast Turf, and Gold Coast’s Magic Millions.
Bruhn also helped Lion achieve monumental firsts, including the inaugural signing of the Dolphins, as well as the Brisbane Lions AFLW and North Queensland Cowboys’ inaugural premierships.
Commercial Strategy:
His extensive experience has allowed him to develop a complete understanding of commercial strategy, where he said the key fundamentals of a strategy don’t change, in that you still have to set goals, understand the needs, find solutions and add value.
“What is different in the business of sport is that industry and focus in this space is still relatively new, compared to the alcohol industry, that’s very mature, and with the likes of XXXX having over 140 years of history. So, to best support the business of sport, there is a need to shape and develop key data points, build insights, and share learnings, which all will have to done with a large amount of agility as the industry evolves,” Bruhn said.
“The depth and breadth of information out there is so wide, and a key strategic focus is coordinating and simplifying the access of the right information to the right stakeholders at the right time.
“So, then looking at those stakeholders in the business of sport, they are no different to a sporting team where you need a balance of recruits, rookies, professional players and marquee players, which is how we’re shaping our service model. It will allow service and support to be dialled up and down as required, allowing better return on investment for the customers,” he said.
Adding onto his breakdown of commercial strategy, Bruhn said you need to understand the balance of the customer needs, knowing the difference between an ‘always-on’ brand compared with a sports administrator.
“Not all stakeholders can afford or want focus 365 days, so we can adapt our approach to suit their needs, which allows better outcomes. The scope of people involved in the business of sport is so broad, you’ve got community sports versus broadcast sports, multinational brands versus local suppliers, then there’s tech companies, government, media, and stadiums as well. So, there’s such a broad range of stakeholders that you can’t do a one size fits all,” Bruhn said.
Networking and Brisbane 2032:
Bruhn is also ready to bring his network to MOS Corporation, where he said you can’t underestimate the power of networking and collaboration.
“Sport as an industry can benefit so much from shared learnings and the diversity of thought that comes from connecting different sports and stakeholders together. The real positive is the benefits also flow outside the sports industry and into community, whether it be infrastructure, technology, well-being or mental health,” Bruhn said.
Bruhn is also ready use his past experiences to help MOS Corporation become a major player in the lead up to Brisbane 2032, where he said the Olympics are an exciting opportunity, but there needs to be a clear focus with tangible outcomes when you decide what areas you want to make an impact in. He hopes that ‘legacy’ can be more than a just a buzz word for the Games and that there is true benefit to Queensland that can be seen in 2033 and beyond.
The appointment of Bruhn comes at a time where MOS Corporation has been expanding its organisation over the past four years, which has grown from ministryofsport.com to include a collection of sports companies and live events that provide a positive impact to the global sports industry.