John Kristick

John Kristick is a senior sports marketing executive with more than 30 years of
experience working on the management, sales, and marketing of major sports
properties. He joined Premier Partnerships, now owned by Playfly Sports, as President
in July 2018. John is now Co-Head of Playfly Sports Consulting and Head of Global
Events. ​
Prior to joining Playfly, John was the Executive Director of the United Bid Committee for
Canada, Mexico and United States, leading a three-country team with the responsibility
for organizing the successful bid to host FIFA World Cup 26 in North America. It was the
most extensive sports event bid ever produced, adhering to FIFA’s detailed bid
requirements. Building upon his previous role as managing director of the USA Bid for
the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the role tapped John’s leadership skills by involving all facets
of stakeholder management at the federal, regional and city government, stadium, and
facility levels across the three countries. ​
Before his current appointment, John spent more than six years with WPP, a global
advertising and marketing services company. He joined WPP’s GroupM in 2011 as
Global CEO of GroupM ESP to build its entertainment and sports practice. He oversaw
GroupM ESP and IEG, in addition to coordinating the wider WPP network of agencies in
the practice of sports. This led ultimately to the establishment of ESP Properties, WPP’s
first dedicated sports agency to serve sports and entertainment rights holders, for which
John served as the global CEO. ​
John’s involvement in international soccer spans more than two decades, as he has
been involved in every FIFA World Cup since 1994, working on either sponsorship
(1994 in the US and 1998 in France), broadcasting (2002 in South Korea/Japan and
2006 in Germany), bidding (representing bids at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
and 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia), marketing support (via WPP agencies involved
with FIFA or sponsors of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil), or hospitality sales (2022
FIFA World Cup in Qatar). ​
Prior to 2009, John was based in Europe for 15 years, serving key roles for leading
sports marketing companies. As executive director for Infront Sports & Media, he led all
marketing and corporate communications from 2001 to 2008, with clients ranging
across all sports, including soccer, basketball, and winter sports. He also oversaw the
company’s entry to the Asian market, with a specific focus in China. ​
John is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in speech
communications. John is married, has three children, and calls home the Eastern Shore
of Maryland. ​