Sports Recruitment International

Name: Mike Jackson
Company: MEC Access
Position: Managing Director, APAC
University & degree: Masters in Marketing, University of West England
Current home town: Singapore
 

MEC Access is a market-leading sport, entertainment and cause marketing business, delivering strategic consulting and implementation services to brands globally, regionally and locally.

Career

Q. Who/what inspired you to pursue a career in the sports industry? 
A. A sponsorship module within my Masters course gave me the vision for combining my Marketing and Sports passion into a career and it looked fun!

Q. What has been the highlight of your career so far? 
A. 1. Taking Castrol from its traditional motorsport heritage into Euro 2008/FIFA World Cup with a positioning amplified across the World and into other sports.  2. Developing some great branded content work for Barclays in Asia that's now been distributed around the World.

Q. What does your typical day at MEC Access involve? 

A. Yesterday:

7am – kids jump on me
9am – arrive at work
9.05am – decide venue for weekend golf with our Chief Strategy Officer
Rest of day: overseeing branded content pitch to Colgate China marketing director on Wednesday and deciding that I don't need to fly to Guangzhou, overseeing presentation in Singapore to Caltex regional client on Friday – 3 great ideas, hope they buy one of them.  Working through a celebrity endorsement deal for another client, arranging trip to India to review Access business plans for 2012, call with our Thailand business on a particular opportunity and then off to JWT for an all agency meeting for Singapore Economic Development Board which amazingly ends early with all agencies aligned.
6.30pm – Meeting in wine bar with head of a production company discussing a number of opportunities across Asia.
10pm – head home

Q. What are the most challenging aspects of your job? 
A. Clients who 'get it' and finding the right talent for the right markets.

Q. What are the most enjoyable aspects of your job? 
A. Interesting people, interesting places, constantly learning and selling great ideas to clients.

Q. What tips would you give to students wanting to break into the sports industry? 
A. Assess your own skill set, consider what discipline is best suited for you, and don't be afraid to fail.

Q. What are the most common mistakes you’ve seen candidates making? 
A. Don't understand my business, what we do and the skills I'm looking for.

Q. How has elite sport changed since you first entered the industry? 
A. Dedication and professionalism from talent and significant revenue growth from the business side

 
Sport/ Life

Q. Favourite sports to participate in?
A. Golf, tennis, cycling

Q. Favourite sports to watch?
A. Rugby, F1 and Golf majors

Q. What in your opinion has been the sporting highlight of the past 12 months? 
A. Cavendish in Tour De France and the French taking on the Kiwi Haka at RWC final, and yes I was there!

Q. What will be the sporting highlight of the next 12 months? 
A. I'm coming back for London Olympics and using my daughter's language it will be 'epic and awesome'. 

Q. Where did you go for your last holiday?
Australia – Hired an RV and drove from Brisbane to Sydney and then Christmas and New Year in one of the greatest cities in the World.

Q. What piece of technology would you be lost without?
A. BB (work), iPad (pleasure) MacBook Air (to try and look cool)