New Sports Sponsorship Agency Launched

Three sponsorship and events specialists from The Mission Group have launched Mongoose, a new sports and entertainment agency.

Chris O’Donoghue, former sponsorship director at the Women’s Tennis Association and managing director at WSM Communications, is joined by partners, Laura Pollard and Philippa Stewart.  

Primarily focused on brand-led marketing and sponsorship campaigns, Mongoose will source, negotiate and manage customised sponsorship and events programmes for business-to-business and business-to-clients clients.

The new agency is a joint venture with The Mission Marketing Group plc, the marketing, communications and advertising group which will now be made up of 12 multi-sector marketing agencies, with Mongoose the first wholly-focused sports and entertainment agency in the group.

Pollard, who previously headed up fashion sponsorship at Vodafone and managed its Uefa Champions League and ECB sponsorships, will lead strategy for Mongoose, while Stewart, who has run sponsorship campaigns for HSBC, Aberdeen Asset Management and Brit Insurance, will run client services.

John Beddington, founder of the Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall and former tournament director and chairman of the Canadian Open Tennis Championships, will become Mongoose chairman.

Currently based in London and Singapore, Mongoose will be working with national and international brands, including AJ Bell, title sponsor of The London Triathlon, Chestertons, CEWE Photobook and Thomson Reuters, a partner of the LTA.

Chris O’Donoghue, chief executive, Mongoose, commented: “A Mongoose is nimble, agile, and tenacious, which are the perfect characteristics to describe our new agency and vision.

“In short, the Mongoose philosophy is to outthink, outwit and outplay the competition and we look forward to performing in this way for our valued clients in the years to come.”

Find the sportindustry.biz interview with Chris O’Donoghue here.