When sports fans think about switching allegiances, they often recall iconic moments like Babe Ruth's move from the Red Sox to the Yankees, Luis Figo swapping Barcelona for Real Madrid, or the recent LIV Golf vs. PGA saga. But the concept of shifting loyalties isn't limited to athletes - it happens every day in marketing departments, too.

Take Burger King's new CMO, who recently joined from Applebee’s after previously being with McDonald’s. At Applebee’s, he oversaw major NFL sponsorship efforts, working with ad agency Grey and focusing heavily on Gen Z and Millennials. Burger King, historically less sponsorship-driven, might now explore similar avenues under his leadership.

Understanding a marketer’s past experiences can offer valuable insights into their future strategies. Are they likely to pursue similar sponsorship deals? Will they re-engage previous partners or replicate successful campaigns?

Here are some notable examples of marketers switching teams this year:

• Disney Vacation Club → Hilton Grand Vacations: Adam Spencer, VP of Event Marketing
• HSBC → American Express: Alessandro Cusmano, VP Performance Marketing
• Bvlgari → Tiffany & Co.: Alix Hamilton, VP, Marketing & Communications, Americas
• Puma Group → Nike: Andre Richly, Brand Marketing Director Soccer North America
• Converse → Nike: Asif Husain, Director Enterprise and Purpose Global Communications - Jordan Brand
• Coty Beauty → L'Oreal: Barbara Abitbol, SVP Global Marketing - L'Oreal Paris Haircare & Styling
• Brown-Forman → The Coca-Cola Company: Casey Gray, Director, Experiential Marketing
• Meta → Microsoft: Chris Smellie, Director of Product Marketing, AI at Work
• Inchcape UK → Lookers: Claire Price, Marketing Director
• Cartier → CHANEL: Delphine Chene, Marketing Director, Watches & Fine Jewelry EMEA
• PepsiCo → Danone: Emilie Vantajol, Marketing Director Dairy
• HP → Intel Corporation: Jeff Dahncke, Chief Communications Officer, acting
• AMD → NVIDIA: Kyle Aubrey, Director, Technical Marketing - Accelerated Computing
• Wrigley → The Coca-Cola Company: Natalia Adams, Senior Director II, Marketing - Brand Management
• Pernod Ricard → Moet Hennessy: Rachel Bright, Marketing & Communications Director
• Merlin Entertainments → Center Parcs: Sara Holt, Chief Marketing Officer
• BetMGM → Caesars Entertainment: Sean Logue, VP of Marketing, Caesars Virginia
• Vans → Skechers: Stefano Braga, Digital Marketing Director

At Honch, we closely track marketers' previous company affiliations, allowing you to quickly identify sponsorship decision-makers who are likely to replicate successful initiatives from past roles. You can even set alerts to notify you instantly when someone moves from one of your current partners to a new business, ensuring you're first in line for new opportunities.

Ready to leverage insider moves and secure sponsorship deals before your competitors?

Start your Honch trial today and gain the ultimate competitive edge.

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