Terry College of Business - Fall 2008 - (Page 63) (BBA ’89) of Buford was promoted to assistant vice president and benefits specialist at GB&T Bancshares. 1990-94 kevin Pope (BBA ’92) of Lincoln, Neb., left his position as president at Stanley-Senior Technologies, where he played a leading role in developing the senior technologies division, to become the president of Lincoln’s Pen-Link. Pope was honored as one of the top “40 under 40” by the Lincoln Business Journal in 2007. Donald Landen (BBA ’93, MAcc ’94) of Ball Ground became the full-time pastor of Ball Ground United Methodist Church. Mark Spain (BBA ’93) of Cumming was named RE/MAX International’s No. 2 agent in the U.S. for closings. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Mark Spain Team has broken the $100 million annual sales mark. The team ranks No. 4 worldwide out of 115,000 RE/ MAX agents in 65 countries. At RE/MAX Greater Atlanta’s annual awards event, Mark and his team placed No. 1 in both sales volume and units sold. At the Atlanta Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club Banquet, Mark took top honors for the fourth straight year. Mark and his team were also honored in COMMUNITIES Magazine for their gross sales of nearly $200 million and 751 closings. [For more information on Mark, see the Spring ’08 issue of TM or go to: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/terryuga/terry_spring08.] David L. Wilson (BBA ’93) of Macon joined SunTrust Bank, Middle Georgia, as vice president and commercial banking relationship manager. William T. Rupp (PhD ’94) of Montevallo, Ala., is dean of Stephens College of Business at the University of Montevallo. Jill Currie Hoover (BBA ’94) and Tom Hoover (BBA ’98) of Cumming are expecting their fifth child in August. Tom is the business manager at Pinecrest Academy. 1995-99 kate Hilburn Allgood (BBA ’95) of Dublin was elected to Morris Terry College oF Olympics is his oyster Chris Welton (BBA’ 81, JD ’85) is aiding ESPN’s efforts to wrest the broadcast rights to future Olympic Games away from NBC By Chris Starrs (AB ’82) chris Welton (bba ’81, jD ’85) worked 18-hour days at his company’s Beijing office this summer, and part of his focus was the Olympic Games. But Welton, a star player on Georgia’s 1980 national championship football team, was also embroiled in negotiations regarding future international competitions. Welton cut his teeth in international sports marketing at the 1996 Olympics in atlanta, and he is now ceO of atlanta-based Helios Partners inc., an international Olympics branding and sports marketing company that also has an office in london, site of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Helios Partners works to secure sponsors for the Olympics and other global sporting events. the company also advises corporate giants like coca-cola, visa, Delta, General mills, and Federal express on how best to benefit from their association with worldwide athletics. Welton joined Helios Partners in 2005 after six years as a real estate attorney “We had six clients that were for king & Spalding. With offices in Atlanta, Beijing, and London, the company domestic sponsors of the Beijing is ideally situated to do international Olympics branding and sports marketing. Games, and we represent two Clients include Coca-Cola, Visa, Delta, General Mills, and Federal Express. clients that are global sponsors,” says Welton, whose staff in Beijing numbered 31. “We also represent two sponsors of the london Games — lloyd’s tSB and Deloitte Uk.” Helios Partners is already well into its planning for the 2010 Winter Games in vancouver, the 2012 Summer Games in london, and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, russia; the latter hired Welton’s firm to help the city formulate its winning bid. With the Beijing Games now in his rearview mirror, Welton says Helios Partners is focusing on new visions — one of which would be a radical shake-up in the broadcast area. Helios Partners also represents eSPn, which expects to make a major push to snag the domestic broadcast rights for the 2014 and 2016 Games from nBc, which has aired the Olympics in the U.S. since 1988. “nBc is trying to force americans to watch the Olympics in prime time,” says Welton, who points out that broadcasts from Beijing were watched heavily by the 50-and-over set but much less so by the 34-and-under demographic. “So, for example, you never got to see live telecasts of jamaica’s triple gold medalist Usain Bolt setting any of his world records in track. you had to be told by nBc when you’d be able to watch it. consumers are not going to respond favorably to that in the future. “eSPn thinks you get greater viewership if you allow people to watch events when they occur. Word of mouth is powerful, particularly these days when word of mouth is an electronic phenomenon because of web sites, blogs, and downloads to Blackberries. if you run a live telecast of Bolt shattering the world record in the 100-meter dash, you’ll get a lot of those same viewers back if you re-run it in prime time.” after getting his law degree from UGa, Welton spent six years with king & Spalding in atlanta. He joined Helios Partners in 2005. “i didn’t know what chris would do, but i did feel when he was playing here that he’d have a chance to do something really exceptional,” says his former coach, vince Dooley. “He’s got a great knack for business, and he is a good people person.” But he’s not a planner. “i literally have not planned one aspect of my business career,” says Welton. “i know that’s not what professors and counselors want to hear, but my theory has always been to be well-rounded and well-prepared for whatever circumstances may present themselves. there are a lot of things i took away from my terry college experience that helped me get into and be successful in the business world, but i can honestly say there’s no way i could have foreseen what i’m doing right now. i didn’t even know this business existed.” Welton’s advice to current terry students? “Do the best you can so you can make your own choices . . . not somebody else’s.” ■ Business Fall 2008 • 63 PHOtO cOUrteSy: HeliOS http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/terryuga/terry_spring08
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