Ollie Clements - Senior Business Development Manager at Genius Sports
“It’s 100% worth the effort to get into it. You will feel the reward”
After being introduced to the sports industry through a friend, Ollie swapped his career in recruitment for a new adventure in sport. He now manages commercial relationships with some of the biggest names in the business for sports tech specialists, Genius Sports.
Introduce yourself!
Hi I’m Ollie Clements and currently the Senior Business Development Manager at Genius Sports, working within the Fan Engagement/ Gamification division. From Surrey, but now live in the Cotswolds as hybrid working has changed the amount of time I need to go to London. A big Rugby fan, I play for a local team (Stow-on-the-Wold), support Gloucester Rugby and am a Chelsea Fan!
Tell us a little bit about Genius Sports and what your role is there.
At Genius Sports I work with Rights Holders, Broadcasters and Publishers offering multiple marketing services; Free to Play gamification (Fantasy games, Predictors, Trivia etc.), Programmatic advertising, Automated Social media platform and Personlised videos. All of these are services to acquire new fans, engage fans and retain fans on owned and operated platforms (App & Web) where these organisations get the most value out of their fanbase.
Did you take on any higher education courses (university etc?) and if so, how does that relate to what you do now?
I studied Sports Coaching at Hartpury University and knew I always wanted to work in sport in some way shape or form. The course didn’t necessarily relate to what I do now, but my experience at university allowed me to converse with a full range of different people, build the confidence to present to multiple people (coaching) and construct well-written documents (assignments).
“The industry hires people with a genuine interest in sport”
What does your career history look like and how did you get into working in sport?
My career started in recruitment where I learnt how sales worked for 2 years. I then had a friend that worked for InCrowd Sports (a sports marketing technology company) and he introduced me to the CEO as there was a sales role coming up, after a few beers and a couple of questions later I had my first job in sport as Product Sales Manager, which I remained in for the next 5 years until moving to Genius Sports.
What do you enjoy most about working in the sport industry?
Just being around sport and like-minded people every day. The industry hires people with a genuine interest in sport from Golf to Rugby to Netball, whatever it might be as long as you have a passion for sport and understand what it’s like to be a fan then sports businesses will be interested in hiring.
Name one thing that excites you about the future of sport that you have learned from your role?
Sport is so far ahead in some respects, but so far behind in others. For example, all airlines now use mobile ticketing but only a limited number of sports organisations do, yet it’s a great tool to collect data and understand fans. Another example is Instagram & Facebook, they’re so good at advertising campaigns for different brands, but sports organisations are still very traditional in this area. So the exciting part is the potential growth in the future.
“The more you understand about the industry the higher your chances will be when you get that interview”
Share your favourite experience that has come as a result of your work in sport.
So many different experiences it’s hard to name just one. Attending the FIBA World Cup in China, the Premiership Rugby Final, The Hundred Cricket Final, as well as attending events at some of the best stadiums Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Stamford Bridge, Lords, also listening to some legends of the game, Deco, Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant.
If someone reading this is wondering how they take their first steps towards a career in sports, what would be your advice?
Not to care too much about what role you start with, once you’re working in the industry you can always move around roles and find what works best for you. Building a LinkedIn profile, so you can connect with people in the industry and ask for advice or understand what roles are out there.
How could someone try to elevate their chances of securing a job in sport?
Carrying on being a sports advocate, attending live sporting events, downloading sports team apps, going on their website, buying a ticket, streaming a match, playing fantasy and making predictions. The more you understand about the industry the higher your chances will be when you get that interview.
What is your one rule for success when it comes to developing a career in sports?
It’s 100% worth the effort to get into it. You will feel the reward. Even if you have to go into another industry for experience, don’t stop trying to get into it.
Want to connect with Ollie or learn more about Genius Sports?
You can connect with Ollie via LinkedIn, and learn more about Genius Sports via their website and LinkedIn page