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Personal Best: Eddie May

Owner

Best pitch presenter you’ve ever seen:

I’ve seen a few good ones but I’ll go with Gavin Megaw at Hanover/The Playbook. Incredible ability to make a persuasive argument and sell ideas to people.

Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours):

Showing my age a bit here, but the Nike/Brazil airport ad for the 98 World Cup sticks out as the first time I can remember a brand making football seem genuinely glamorous and exciting and really announced Nike’s arrival in the sport.

Best agency (that isn’t yours):

If I can have two, I think Ear To The Ground and Halfspace are both doing really impressive things around fusing data, insight and creativity to make an impact in sport.

Best young industry talent:

Not as young as he used to be, but Duncan Ross at Wasserman was one of the best people I hired in my agency days. Great with clients, great with media and an all-round good guy.

Best sporting event attended:

As a Derby County fan I’ve been to a few Championship playoff finals, mostly losing ones. For sheer atmosphere, jeopardy and the importance of the result, I don’t think many events can beat it.

Best sporting event on TV:

The Masters.

Best brand ambassador:

David Beckham in his prime had an incredible power to generate fame and shift product for a brand. These days it’s all about athletes with an authentic voice and ​connection, so the likes of Rashford, Osaka and Biles. Emma Raducanu could be huge if she is managed properly.

Best industry event or conference:

Has to be the Sport Industry Awards

Best film containing a scene depicting the sports business:

Jerry Maguire, for what is presumably a 100% authentic portrayal of life as a US sports agent

Best book recommendation:

'- Sports book: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
- Serious business book: Good Strategy/Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

Best bar or pub:

Don’t be silly, I’ve got three kids

Best restaurant:

Restaurant Twenty-Two in Cambridge is delicious

Best holiday resort:

Spent my honeymoon in Lombok. Basically paradise, would love to go back one day

Best box set:

Breaking Bad was pretty addictive

Best influence on your career:

Jim Hawker (my co-founder at Threepipe) was always very good at the things I wasn’t, and vice-versa.

Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6):

If I’m allowed dead people I’ll say Brian Clough, Bobby Robson, Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp.

Best job in the sports biz:

I would love to get hold of a sport like golf and find ways to genuinely make it more accessible and appealing for more people to play

Best professional regret:

None really but I do remember discussing Bitcoin in the office around 2013 and dismissing it as a weird, geeky novelty. Same thing with Ethereum in 2016. Follow me for more crypto investment tips

Best skill you most covet:

I’d love to be able to draw or paint well. My Dad can, but that gene has skipped a generation

Best trait you admire in others:

People who are really good at thinking on their feet and coming up with convincing answers to questions on the spot. I usually need to go away and think about things for a bit

Best overrated virtue:

Over-confidence

Best ambition:

To continue working in this great sector and hopefully making a positive impact for my clients, while achieving a decent balance and being around for my family. And to play golf in single figures.

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