The Role of the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO): Driving Growth and Revenue in the Sports Industry

In recent years the role of the chief revenue officer (CRO) has become regarded as a key executive within an elite sports organization. While the role initially was more common among Silicon Valley IT vendor companies, it has now become commonplace in sports organizations (although the title may be different depending on the idiosyncrasies of the club (e.g. chief growth officer, chief commercial officer, or chief experience officer). As clubs look to ‘scale’ their business beyond the confines of a home stadium to reach a global fan base, the appointment of an individual who can integrate, harmonize, and optimize people, data, and measurements across their sales and marketing teams has become essential. The CRO is therefore a key voice in driving strategic integration and alignment of revenue between all dimensions of club business and in doing so identify new market opportunities, bridge siloed marketing and sales departments, and focus on one of the most crucial elements of any company's success – revenue.