SportsBusiness Journal Selects GMR’s San Francisco GM As One of Most Influential in Sports Under Age 40

SAN FRANCISCO (March 21, 2011) – SportsBusiness Journal honored GMR Marketing vice president Adam Lippard as one of the most influential young executives in sports with inclusion on the prestigious “Forty Under 40” list.

Lippard, 39, who is general manager of GMR’s San Francisco office, was lauded for the critical role that he has played with several of the agency’s top sports accounts, as well as his contribution to GMR’s global growth initiatives in the London, Sochi and Brazil marketplaces in advance of the upcoming Olympics and World Cup. He has also managed the expansion of the office, which has grown from three to 25 employees during his decade with GMR.

“Adam has allowed us to make meaningful relationships with properties, clients and prospects,” lauded Mike Boykin, GMR’s executive vice president of sports. “He’s passionate about delivering for clients, and they pick that up when they talk to him.”

Lippard became the third member of GMR leadership in four years to receive the Forty Under 40 honor. He followed Greg Busch (2008) and Cameron Wagner (2010).

Lippard’s influence in sports goes well beyond his work with GMR. In late 2009, he took a three-month sabbatical to do pro bono work with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of FIFA, streetfooballworld, volunteering with international cause-related organizations in Africa and India. In South Africa, he consulted for GrassrootSoccer (GRS), whose mission is to stop the spread of HIV by using the universal language of soccer. While at GRS, Lippard was instrumental in developing a campaign called, “Give HIV the Red Card.” In India, he accepted a volunteer assignment with “Magic Bus,” which is an organization dedicated to inspiring impoverished youths through sports to discover their true potential and encourage them to find purpose in life. Lippard said the sabbatical significantly changed his approach to life and business.

“Prior to the sabbatical, I think perhaps I overvalued the importance of the work I did,” he said. “It’s one thing to help my clients sell more of their products or services through their sports and entertainment efforts. It’s an entirely different thing to impact a child’s life.”

Lippard is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism from the SI Newhouse School of Communications (’93). He earned his Masters in Sports Management from Ohio University (’94). Lippard has taught graduate level sports marketing classes as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco.

Back To News