Brett Gosper

Brett Gosper (born 21 June 1959 in Melbourne, Australia) is CEO of World Rugby through 2020 and a former advertising executive and rugby union player.[1] On 2 December 2020, WR announced that Gosper would leave his position in January 2021 to become head of the National Football League's operations in Europe and the United Kingdom.[2]

Brett Gosper
Born (1959-06-21) 21 June 1959
Melbourne, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Gosper
Children3
Parent(s)Kevan Gosper, Jillian Mary Galwey (dec)

Early life

Gosper was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and Monash University; Faculties of Law and Economics. [3]

Advertising career

In 1981, Gosper began his advertising career as a graduate trainee with Ogilvy & Mather in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia. On being offered a place with the Racing Club rugby team in Paris he transferred to Ogilvy & Mather Paris in 1982, becoming Group Account Director in 1986.

In 1989 Gosper left Ogilvy & Mather to go on to become Deputy Managing Director of France's 3rd largest advertising agency BDDP Paris (now TBWA) in 1992. While at BDDP Gosper led a number of international wins including TAG Heuer watches for whom he created the global concept of their longstanding worldwide campaign "Don't Crack Under Pressure". Gosper led the successful pitch for BMW in Germany in 1993 which led to him spending a year in Germany opening the BDDP Frankfurt office.[4]

In 1994 Gosper was recruited by Havas to relaunch their struggling entities in London as Chief Executive Officer of newly branded Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper. For almost a decade Gosper led the agency on an industry acclaimed run of new business acquisition that included Abbey National, Argos, Bass Brewery, Cadbury, Coca-Cola's Atlanta roster, Commission for Racial Equality, Credit Suisse, Evian, Häagen-Dazs, Intel, Microsoft, Philips (Gosper was the author of the worldwide brand concept "Let's Make Things Better"), Reckitt Benckiser and The Independent.

The rise of Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper to number one in the Campaign Magazine's Business Performance League ensured the agency a Top 10 London agency ranking and several years as finalist in Ad Age's International Agency of the Year.[5]

In 2003, Gosper sold his equity in Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper to join McCann Erickson, the world's largest advertising agency network, as CEO of their flagship New York office.[6]

In 2004, Gosper briefly rejoined TBWA as President of TBWA New York Group (TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, Tequila New York, and Brand Architecture International). Gosper led the successful pitch for the newly merged Sprint-Nextel business. With billings of $800 million, it was the biggest marketing services account review that year in the USA.[7][8][9]

In 2005, still based in New York, Gosper returned to McCann Erickson as President of McCann USA. During the time of Gosper's leadership at McCann, the agency's flurry of new business wins included Goodyear, Staples, Smith Barney, Verizon, US Army, Viagra, Lunesta, Weight Watchers, USA Today.[10][11]

From 2007–2011, Gosper returned to London as Chief Executive Officer of McCann Europe, Middle East and Africa. Gosper was also a member of the McCann Worldwide Executive Board, and Board Executive responsible for major European-based global accounts including L'Oreal, Nestle, Unilever, Sony Ericsson, InterContinental Hotels Group.[12][13]

Rugby career

Early club career in Australia

Gosper who started playing rugby in Sydney began his first-grade rugby career in 1978 with the Melbourne Rugby Union Football Club. In 1979 at the age of 20, Gosper was named captain and first represented Victoria. In 1980, he represented Victoria against the New Zealand All Blacks.

Gosper re-located to Brisbane in 1981 to join GPS club and the Queensland Rugby Union squad.

Racing Club de France (Racing 92) (1981–1990)

Gosper left Australia aged 22 when recruited by one of France's most celebrated rugby clubs, the Racing Club de France (now Racing 92) in Paris, where he played from 1981 to 1990. The team was also famous at the time for provocatively wearing pink bow ties in the 1987 and 1990 finals of the French Championship.

International career

Gosper played trials for the Australia national rugby union team tours in 1979 (Argentina) and 1981 (United Kingdom). He represented the Australian Under 21 Rugby Union team in 1980, versus New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[14][15]

Gosper represented a French selection ("Séléction du Manoir") against British Barbarian F.C. in 1982 at the Parc des Princes.

Gosper was selected by the French Barbarian Rugby Club to play against the touring New Zealand All Blacks at La Rochelle in 1986. Gosper was captain of the Italian side at the Monaco Sevens in 1986 at the Stade Louis II.[16]

Rugby honours
  • Racing Club de France: Best Club Player, 1987.
  • Melbourne Rugby Football Club: Best Club Player, 1978-1979-1980.

CEO World Rugby and Rugby World Cup

In July 2012, Gosper became Chief Executive of the International Rugby Board, based in Dublin. The IRB has since relaunched as World Rugby.[17]

As CEO, Gosper has overseen Rugby's successful return to the Olympic Games (after 92 years absence) in Rio in 2016[18] as well as a record-breaking Rugby World Cup in England in 2015. With 2.47 million tickets sold and commercial and ticketing revenues in excess of £600 million, the 2015 Rugby World Cup generated over £260 million in total surplus to World Rugby for reinvestment in the global game.[19]

Further record breaking success was achieved in 2019 at Asia's first ever Rugby World Cup in Japan; Commercial revenues, broadcast audiences (including a domestic record rugby of 54.8 million for Japan v Scotland) and social media metrics (2.1 billion video views) at 2019 Rugby World Cup all exceeded those of 2015 Rugby World Cup.[20]

Similar successes for rugby are expected from rugby's participation at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Gosper also led the repositioning and rebranding of the former 'International Rugby Board' to its current name; World Rugby.[21] The rebranding has contributed to the dramatic increase in World Rugby's digital and social media presence, judged the most extensive and engaged of the Olympic sports federations (Independent Survey by Red Torch).

As well as leading a period of significant commercial growth for World Rugby and Rugby World Cup, Gosper has overseen progressive change in the area of governance and player welfare.

In his role as CEO Gosper has been frequently solicited by news media and speaking forums for views on rugby and the business of sport.

Personal life

Gosper is the son of former International Olympic Committee Vice-President, Kevan Gosper AO and brother of Dean Gosper, a successful entrepreneur who is a member of the Executive Board of the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Residing in London, he is married with three children.

References
  1. "Brett Gosper | Rugby Union | Players and Officials". espn.co.uk. ESPN Scrum. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. "World Rugby Executive Gosper to leave role for NFL". ESPN.com. Reuters. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  3. "Brett Gosper (BEc 1981) Monash University". monash.edu. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  4. Staff, Adweek. "Frankfurt Agencies Play 'Musical Execs': BDDP's Raid Leaves DMB&B Scrambling to Keep P&G Satisfied By Rosemarie TotzaueFRANKFURT – BDDP's raid of D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles' executive muscle for client BMW has". Adweek. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  5. "Euro RSCG retools London office, new CEO named. (Brett Gosper) (Brief Article) | HighBeam Business: Arrive Prepared". Business.highbeam.com. 14 November 1994. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  6. Glen Mutel (15 August 2003). "CLOSE-UP: NEWSMAKER – BRETT GOSPER. Brett Gosper sets out to make his mark on a third continent – Brand Republic News". Brandrepublic.com. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  7. "TBWA LURES MCCANN EXEC TO HEAD UNIT | People & Players – Advertising Age". Adage.com. 19 August 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  8. Elliott, Stuart (20 August 2004). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING – ADDENDA; Manager at McCann Is Leaving for TBWA – New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  9. McMains, Andrew. "Room Nearer the Top Gets Gosper to TBWA". Adweek. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  10. McMains, Andrew. "Gosper's Second Thoughts Give Him A Second Chance". Adweek. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  11. McMains, Andrew. "Gosper to Rejoin McCann as President". Adweek. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  12. Mark Sweney (2 May 2007). "Brett Gosper returns to London | Media | MediaGuardian". Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  13. "Gustavo Martinez Joins McCann Worldgroup as European President". McCANN Worldgroup. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  14. The Age - Google News Archive Search
  15. The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search
  16. "Brett Gosper – Ils sont Barbarians". Barbarian Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  17. "Australian Brett Gosper appointed as new IRB chief executive". BBC Sport. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  18. "Game-changing Olympic return draws at least 16.83 million new fans to rugby". Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  19. "World Rugby announces astonishing record financial results from 2015". December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  20. "JAPAN'S SUCCESS SMASHES RUGBY BROADCAST RECORDS AS THE WORLD WATCHES ON". Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  21. "IRB becomes World Rugby as new brand is launched". Retrieved 18 November 2014.
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