Sports Group International, a leading executive search firm serving the sports industry, has hired Rob Grady as vice president of sports business. Grady will focus on recruiting executives in sports marketing, sales and management across the many aspects of the sports business world. He will be based in SGI’s office in the Columbus, OH area.
“In the competitive worlds of sports and business, winning begins with identifying and recruiting the right people for your team and organization,” said Grady. “I am very excited to join SGI and help connect talented professionals with the right organization or company.”
“I have been recruiting Rob Grady to join SGI for a long time. His knowledge of the sports business, reputation, and determination to overcome obstacles are essential factors in helping our clients. Rob’s mandate is to grow our licensed products base and extend into mainstream sports marketing. We are very excited to have Rob join the team,” said SGI President Joe White.
Grady has enjoyed a diverse career in the sports industry prior to joining SGI. After starting his career in sports broadcasting, Grady then spent nearly 10 years in college athletics with stints at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University and the University of Miami (Fla.). He also held executive positions with the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.
During his career, Grady has also spearheaded the sports marketing division of Newell Rubbermaid's Sharpie brand. Most recently, Grady directed both the Sports Licensing and Sports E-Commerce businesses for Sun Capital's Perfect Timing, Inc.
Sports Group International is an executive search firm that has specialized in recruiting sales, marketing, product design and development, and general management professionals in the sports industry since 1989.
