Extreme E Looks To Red Bull For Double Hire
Extreme E has made two new senior hires to its marketing and events teams as it builds up to its first race in January 2021.
The electric off-road SUV racing series will look to draw on the pair’s Red Bull experience as it beefs up its team. Kester Wilkinson, who joins from D3 Events – one of Red Bull UK’s sport event agencies – will head up events at Extreme E, while Nina Dreier – who was Sports Marketing Specialist at Red Bull UK – will join the series as Marketing Manager.
Wilkinson will work with logistics and sporting teams, with main responsibilities including ensuring that key event infrastructure and resources are in place for the delivery of a safe and competitive event, which also aims to perform to the highest possible standards in sustainability.
Having coordinated event production for Hyundai, Shell and Land Rover as well as Red Bull, his experience of challenging and technical events such as Red Bull cliff diving and Red Bull Hardline will be valuable for the Electric SUV series as it embarks on races in some of the most challenging parts of the world.
Commenting on his appointment, Kester said: “As soon as I heard about Extreme E, I knew I had to work on this project. I thrive on the challenge that comes with organising sporting events in remote environments, but I also have a deep-rooted passion for the planet and anything that makes a difference to its future, so Extreme E ticks all the boxes for me.
“It’s a highly ambitious project and there is plenty to do to prepare for our first race with under a year to go, so the hard work is already underway, but there is a great team to work with here and we are all more than prepared for the challenge.”
Dreier, meanwhile, was responsible for building brand affinity for Red Bull Sports Marketing events such as Red Bull Soapbox Race. She said: “Extreme E is not like anything else that exists in motorsport. It’s a very exciting concept; bold, breaking the mould, and aiming to attract an audience that far extends the usual boundaries of the sport.”
Commenting on the new team additions, Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, added: “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Nina and Kester to the Extreme E team. Both bring truly impressive experiences and insights from their experiences with Red Bull and beyond.
“I feel very proud to be part of the team that gets to help shape its success and bring it to life as we build this new series from scratch.”
“With just under a year to go until Extreme E gets underway, there is plenty of hard work ahead but we are building a talented team of people who are fully capable of meeting the challenge.”
The series gets underway in less than a year, and will see electric SUVs compete in extreme environments which have already been damaged or affected as a result of the climate emergency. It will take in races in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, and the Mustang District in the Himalayas as well as Saudi Arabia and Senegal.
