About
John Guppy
With a lifetime of soccer experiences, Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing founder, John Guppy, understands what makes the soccer market tick at every level. The former President & CEO of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire has built a reputation over the past 20 years as one of the leading authorities on the business of soccer marketing, sponsorship, broadcast, management, and brand development.
Corporate Brand Marketing Experience
John’s extensive corporate marketing experience began in 1991 when he managed the US Soccer Federation’s national corporate partnerships with clients; Canon, Chiquita Bananas, Fujifilm, Gatorade, JVC, and Sprint. Since that time, he has helped design, execute, manage, and track soccer initiatives for a broad and diverse roster of clients from almost every industry including: apparel, automotive, consumer products, electronics, energy, financial services, food and beverage, healthcare, retail, technology, and telecommunications.
Programs have ranged in scope from relatively small one-off local initiatives with companies such as Bloomberg Financial and Saint Barnabas HealthCare System (NJ) to major national platforms for brands like Tide and Chevrolet with multi-million dollar budgets. Target soccer consumers have also ranged from youth soccer families, to Hispanic, to Adult participants to Soccer Moms.
Soccer Brand Marketing Experience
As President/CEO of the Chicago Fire John led the MLS Club to unprecedented business growth during his 3-year tenure. He guided the Club’s move from Soldier Field to its new home at Toyota Park, using the transition as a means to strengthen the Club’s brand identity, double ticket revenues and quintuple sponsorship support. Prior to joining the Chicago Fire, John spent 5 years as the Executive Vice-President of the NY/NJ MetroStars overseeing all commercial endeavors for the Club. Crediting creative strategies and a focused sales and marketing effort, he was able to lead the Club to year-upon-year business growth.
Previously, while working for sports marketing agencies Octagon and API, John was a key figure in managing and developing soccer properties at every level of the sport. Responsibilities included strategic planning, sponsorship exploitation, broadcast negotiation, research development, and event and hospitality management for the US Soccer Federation, Men’s and Women’s National Teams, US Youth Soccer, APSL, College Soccer, and the Reebok Cup.
Playing and Coaching Experience
John grew up playing soccer in Winchester, England. At age 14 he signed an Associate Schoolboy contract with his local professional Club, Southampton FC. His playing career later brought him to the United States on a scholarship at New Hampshire College, where he became a two-time All-American and captained his team to a National Championship in 1989. Although drafted by the Dayton Dynamo, John elected instead to continue school and begin coaching, becoming an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts and running his own soccer camps.
Personal
John holds a Masters Degree in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts. In 2006, he was nominated by Crain’s Chicago Business magazine as one of the city’s 40 under 40 most important business executives. He lives in Naperville, Illinois with his wife and three children.