Champions Cup Brand Manager begins — 05.08.2015

Milan Rantakari began work on the 3^rd of August in the newly-created position of Champions Cup Brand Manager.

His main tasks will be to define and develop the brand profile of Champions Cup, build the sales packages for the CC marketing rights as well as organsing the sale of the marketing rights. Other tasks will include providing support to the CC local organisers, coordinating the visibility of the CC, supporting the CC stakeholders with news and materials, and co-ordinating the activities of the CC Steering Group.

He has been involved with CC in the past, acting as the Chairman for the CC 2013 organising committee when the event was held in Tampere, Finland, as well as previously being SSBL’s appointed member of the Champions Cup Steering Group (a position he has now stepped down from).

Rantakari feels that an important part of his job will be to increase both the level of interest and input from all levels of floorball in order forthe CC to develop – “The aim is to make and build the Champions Cup to be more attractive within all interest groups, including not just the top-ranked associations, but also those clubs & associations who do not directly participate in the event. We will need to develop the brand, and concepts around it, in close co-operation with all of the National associations and clubs. Only with the input of all these groups can we build the reputation and increase the visibility of the event to the next level.”

Rantakari joins us with a good view of Floorball at all levels for more than 20 years. He got to know floorball in the early 90´s, playing in the lower divisions as well as founding new teams. While studying he was involved with floorball via Student Union Board while acting as the person in charge of sports. He has been active in one of the biggest floorball Clubs in Finland, Tapanilan Erä, for 15 years, being involved at all levels - juniors, women’s & men’s league teams and in the Clubs board for eight years. He has been a member of the Finnish Floorball Federation (SSBL) Central Board for the last four years, and before that he was a member of the National Team Committee & Disciplinary Committee, for two years in each. At an international level, he has been a member of the IFFCentral Board for almost one year.

Professional background:

Degrees: MBA (Major in International Business &Marketing), B.Sc.in Management. 15 years working experience mainly in the areas of marketing, branding, sales, including sponsorships. One corporation he worked for was the main sponsor of the Finnish National Football Association including all the national teams, and he was in charge of the sponsorship co-operation for eight years.

Milan has been living in six countries and thus has also a good level of understanding of different cultures and of other sports and their role in the global scale/scene.