October saw another month of major change across sponsorship, partnerships, and brand marketing. Honch tracked 9,699 new hires and 3,365 promotions, revealing how sports organisations, rights holders, and brands are reshaping their commercial and partnership teams for 2026.

Each appointment represents a new decision-maker, a fresh strategy, and an opportunity for agencies, data providers, and tech platforms selling into sponsorship and fan engagement.

🌍 Global snapshot

• United Kingdom: 4,684 new hires, 2,036 promotions
• United States: 3,448 new hires, 864 promotions
• Europe: 935 new hires, 367 promotions
• Rest of World: 632 new hires, 98 promotions

Leadership mobility remained high across all regions, particularly in commercial, brand partnership, and fan engagement roles.

NB: Across larger markets, Honch tracks senior sponsorship and marketing moves in organisations with 200 or more employees to ensure focus on roles with real strategic influence.

United Kingdom: partnership growth and purpose

The UK remains one of the most active sponsorship and partnership markets globally, with 4,684 new hires and 2,036 promotions recorded in October.

Notable senior moves:

• Barclays – Laura Harvey, Chief Marketing Officer
• Sky – Tom Gilbert, Director of Brand and Creative
• Sainsbury’s – Clare Kavanagh, Director of Customer and Loyalty

Partnerships are evolving from logo placement to collaborative storytelling. Teams are focused on integration, purpose, and measurable fan impact. ESG-linked partnerships and cause-led activations continue to grow, with renewed interest in tech and data tools to track engagement value.

For providers: UK sports and entertainment rights holders are investing in fan data, CRM systems, and digital activation tools. Providers who can connect sponsorship assets to measurable audience and brand outcomes will stand out.

United States: commercial acceleration

The US recorded 3,448 new sponsorship-related hires and 864 promotions in October, driven by a surge in data-led partnerships across sport, entertainment, and lifestyle brands.

Notable senior moves:

• Amazon – Kevin Lai, Vice President, Global Performance Marketing
• Coca-Cola – Angela Reed, Head of Brand Strategy, North America
• Salesforce – Michelle Carver, VP Growth Marketing

The US sponsorship market continues to scale at speed, powered by connected fan ecosystems, streaming integration, and cross-platform brand campaigns.
Partnership teams are becoming more analytical, using performance data, CRM integration, and audience modelling to guide renewal and activation decisions.

For providers: Data, measurement, and storytelling are the winning combination. Tools that track ROI, manage rights assets, or measure brand lift across platforms are in highest demand.

Europe: creativity with credibility

Across Europe, Honch tracked 935 new hires and 367 promotions, led by major activity in football, motorsport, and consumer brand partnerships.

Notable senior moves:

• Adidas – Sophie Meyer, VP Global Brand Communications
• Heineken – Robert van der Meer, Global Media Director
• Renault Group – Pauline Durand, Director of Marketing Transformation

European sponsorship remains rooted in creative storytelling, but increasingly tied to sustainability and purpose. Rights holders and brands alike are refining partnerships to align with ESG goals, social impact, and measurable audience outcomes.

For providers: Europe’s focus is shifting from awareness to accountability. Brands want to prove partnership value through fan data, reach, and perception - and are investing in platforms that can do just that.

🌏 Rest of World: new rights, new reach

Honch recorded 632 new hires and 98 promotions across other regions, including Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Canada.

Notable senior moves:

• Emirates – Layla Khan, Director of Global Sponsorships
• ‍Air Canada – Marie Fortin, Head of Customer and Brand Marketing
• ‍Samsung Electronics – Jinwoo Park, VP Brand Experience
• Air Canada – Marie Fortin, Head of Customer and Digital Marketing

Emerging markets are expanding their global footprint through sponsorship - particularly in motorsport, football, and entertainment. Partnerships are being rebuilt around digital activation, fan engagement, and hospitality experiences that deliver measurable value.

For providers: These regions are growth-ready but selective. Data-backed partnership propositions, flexible activation models, and regional expertise are key to securing new business.

📈 Promotions: internal momentum

Honch tracked 3,365 promotions globally in October, with many senior moves within sponsorship, partnerships, and brand activation teams.
Promoted leaders typically move quickly to evaluate existing contracts, inherited deals, and measurement frameworks.

For providers: Promotions are an early buying signal. New leaders often look to rationalise agencies and tools within their first 90 days.

💡 What’s shaping sponsorship right now

Based on analysis of over 1,000 senior marketing and partnership leader profiles, several trends define where sponsorship teams are focusing as they head into 2026:

Top challenges

• Measurement and ROI: Rights holders and sponsors alike are under pressure to quantify impact beyond exposure and impressions.
• Data and insight: Fan data, CRM linkage, and media tracking are becoming the backbone of commercial decision-making.
• Sustainability and ESG: Purpose and alignment are now a deciding factor in sponsorship selection.
• Hospitality and experience: Rights holders are rethinking VIP and experiential models to integrate data capture and personalisation.
• Renewals and inherited deals: Many new leaders are assessing long-term partnerships and restructuring around clearer performance goals.

Focus areas for 2026

• Data-led partnerships: CRM, analytics, and fan engagement tools are now central to sponsorship evaluation.
• Integrated storytelling: Content, PR, and brand campaigns are merging with partnership activation to extend reach.
• Sustainable alignment: ESG-driven partnerships continue to define new sponsorship categories.
• Digital activation: Investment in AI, social, and virtual engagement tools is accelerating.
• Hospitality 2.0: Experience-led activations are being reimagined for measurable return and sponsor visibility.

Sponsorship is evolving from exposure to experience - powered by data, purpose, and measurable outcomes.

⏩ The 100-day window

Around 70% of new sponsorship and partnership leaders spend most of their first-year budget within 100 days.

‍That means October’s appointments will drive decisions through November, December, and January, shaping 2026 deal cycles.

For providers: Relevance and timing matter. Being in-market before partnership renewals and budget sign-offs is critical to winning new business.

🚀 Stay ahead with Honch

Honch tracks every senior move in sponsorship and partnerships globally - every hire, promotion, and company change - giving you visibility into where budgets and commercial strategies are shifting.