Leaders Podcast: Giles Morgan (Unmuzzled)

Giles Morgan left HSBC towards the end of 2017 and now, he says, he’s free to say what he really thinks about sponsorship, about sport, about who’s getting it right, and, more pertinently, who’s getting it wrong.

Over his 12-year career leading HSBC’s sponsorship activities, Morgan sanctioned the spend of over a billion dollars. Over Christmas biscuits and a cup of strong tea in his kitchen, our conversation covers:

– What’s next after leaving one of the best jobs in global sport;

– Storytelling and a new nomenclature for sponsorship;

– Toxic rights holders and risk assessment; golf’s issue with women and how HSBC pressed for change; British Cycling’s governance issue – and how a sponsor’s position can remain tenable in adversity;

– Why sponsors need to get edgier in their associations and talk the language of the fan;

– Iconic stadiums as marketing collateral and why some – such as the London Stadium – fail to attract the naming rights sponsorship they want;

– Why there’s a lack of takers for a string of blue-riband sponsorship opportunities across British sport;

– When hospitality activation goes wrong – an episode from a Lions tour.

• Episode 26: Surrey CCC CEO Richard Gould
• Episode 25: San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido

Listen to the interview below, and subscribe today on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, or your chosen podcast platform.