Michael R. Payne

Michael Payne was nominated as one of the world's most influential marketeers by Advertising Age. He has spent the past forty-five years at the forefront of the global sports marketing industry. Hired as the IOC's first marketing director Michael helped oversee the transformation of the Olympics from bankruptcy to a billion-dollar brand. After twenty years, he moved to F1 as Special Advisor to Bernie Eccleston.

Michael has run his own global boutique advisory group for the past two decades, negotiating some of the industry's biggest deals. He is highly regarded as one of the most transformative executives within the sporting industry. He is regularly sought after by the world's media from BBC and CNN to the Financial Times, known for his provocative comments. In 2022 the IOC awarded Michael the prestigious Coubertin Medal for services to the Olympic Movement.