SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—The Competitor Group (CGI) has hired Bouker Pool as its senior vice president of marketing.
“Bouker is a tremendous addition to the Competitor Group,” said Scott Dickey, president of CGI. “He brings a wealth of experience in the world of sports marketing, as well as a seasoned perspective on the industry that will be valuable in driving the development of the Competitor brand. He joins Competitor at an exciting time, with opportunities to develop our brand as we relaunch Competitor Magazine and roll out a new Triathlon event series along with the continued expansion of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series.”
Pool comes to CGI with over 15 years of experience in sports marketing. In the newly created role, he will be responsible for the development of the overall Competitor brand and respective event marketing strategies, including advertising, sales promotions, public relations, industry research, database management and digital marketing.
Most recently, Pool served as the vice president of sports marketing and events for Rodale Inc., where he managed Rodale’s Sports Marketing and Events Group. He also founded a sports marketing and sponsorship practice called Podion Sponsorship Group (PSG) in Colorado, working with clients such as United Airlines, USA Basketball, Quiznos Corporation and the National MS Society.
“Bouker is one of the savviest, most creative marketing executives in the endurance sports industry,” said Andy Hersam, executive vice president of media at CGI, who previously worked with Pool at Rodale. “Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated that he sees the big picture and is able to put all of the necessary pieces in place to ensure that a marketing program is successful and melds perfectly with the overall business goals.”
Pool was named the 2007 Event Strategist of the Year by BizBash Magazine. Prior to founding PSG, he was vice president for the Denver marketing firm Proxy Partners, securing exclusive marketing rights for the City and County of Denver’s Theaters and Arenas Division, which includes Red Rocks, the Denver Coliseum and the Colorado Convention Center. He also spent five years in motorsports marketing and two years working with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and NBA’s Denver Nuggets.
“Competitor’s media assets and ability to execute world-class events make it one of the most enviable companies in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Pool, an avid endurance athlete. “There is tremendous opportunity to grow our brands to deliver innovation and inspiration for athletes of all abilities. I look forward to working with the CGI team to build a world-class company.”
A graduate of the University of Denver, Pool holds an MBA from the Daniels College of Business. He is also the founder of the non-profit Project Youth Foundation, which seeks to positively impact the lives of disadvantaged children.
