CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER (CMO)

UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION INC•Lake Worth, FL

About The Position

This position is responsible for developing and executing an integrated marketing and communications strategy that advances the visibility, participation, reputation, and long-term growth of the sport of polo in the United States. Leading the Association’s enterprise-wide marketing, brand, communications, content, digital, sponsorship activation, and audience-growth functions, the CMO will serve as the senior marketing leader for the Association and will ensure that USPA marketing efforts are aligned with the strategic objectives of the Board, executive leadership, committees, clubs, championships, member programs, sponsorship initiatives, broadcast/DSP programming, licensing-related priorities, and national events. This role requires a modern sports marketing executive who can build brand awareness, grow audiences, support membership and participation, strengthen sponsor value, elevate championship and event visibility, manage public communications, and use data-driven marketing to support measurable organizational growth. The successful candidate must be both a strategic leader and a hands-on executor, capable of managing multiple stakeholders in a complex member-based sports organization.

Requirements

Minimum of 10 years of progressive marketing, communications, sports marketing, entertainment marketing, event marketing, and/or brand leadership experience.
Prior experience in a national governing body, professional sports organization, league, club, sports venue, major event organization, media company, agency, or comparable member-based organization strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success leading integrated marketing and communications functions across brand, digital, social, content, public relations, sponsorship activation, event marketing, and audience development.
Proven ability to use marketing to drive measurable growth in revenue, membership, participation, audience engagement, sponsorship value, event attendance, digital engagement, or brand visibility.
Strong understanding of CRM, email marketing, paid media, social media strategy, website analytics, audience segmentation, campaign attribution, and marketing automation.
Experience managing staff, agencies, vendors, budgets, campaign calendars, creative production, and cross-functional projects.
Strong writing, editing, messaging, presentation, and executive communication skills.
Ability to work effectively with senior executives, Board members, committees, clubs, sponsors, members, athletes/players, media, vendors, and external stakeholders.
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, sports management, journalism, public relations, or related field required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or equivalent senior leadership experience preferred.
Strategic, disciplined, and growth-oriented leader.
Strong business judgment and understanding of how marketing supports revenue, reputation, membership, sponsorship, and long-term organizational value.
Collaborative and diplomatic management style suitable for a member-based sports governing body.
Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize competing initiatives.
Comfortable operating in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders, committees, and public-facing responsibilities.
Creative storyteller with strong respect for brand standards, accuracy, governance, and reputation management.
Data-driven decision-maker who can translate marketing activity into measurable organizational outcomes.
High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to advancing the mission, values, and reputation of the USPA and the sport of polo.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the USPA’s annual and long-term marketing and communications strategy, aligned with the Association’s strategic plan, budget, growth priorities, and reputation objectives.
Establish a clear and consistent brand position for the USPA and the sport of polo across all communications channels, events, member programs, digital platforms, sponsor activations, and public-facing initiatives.
Create integrated marketing campaigns that increase awareness of polo, drive participation, support membership growth, promote championships and events, and enhance the public image of the sport.
Lead annual marketing planning, campaign calendars, budget development, resource allocation, and performance reporting.
Serve as the senior internal advisor on marketing strategy, brand positioning, audience development, public messaging, and communications priorities.
Ensure marketing programs support both enterprise-wide objectives and the specific needs of USPA committees, clubs, members, championships, programs, and strategic initiatives.
Develop and manage strategies to grow and engage key USPA audiences, including members, clubs, players, fans, youth participants, sponsors, donors, broadcast viewers, social media followers, and the broader polo community.
Own the marketing funnel from awareness and audience acquisition through engagement, conversion, retention, loyalty, and advocacy.
Use CRM, email marketing, database segmentation, digital advertising, social media, website analytics, and content strategy to build measurable audience growth.
Develop marketing initiatives that support membership acquisition, retention, member communication, club engagement, event attendance, championship visibility, and participation in the sport.
Identify new audience segments and growth opportunities that can expand the reach and relevance of polo.
Partner with executive leadership, sponsorship, events, membership, licensing, broadcast/OTT, and program teams to support revenue-generating initiatives.
Develop marketing strategies that increase sponsorship value, improve partner activation, support ticketing and event revenue, promote OTT and digital viewership, and strengthen the commercial profile of USPA programs.
Support the creation of sponsorship materials, partnership presentations, campaign recaps, audience reports, and marketing assets used to secure and renew sponsors and partners.
Collaborate with internal teams to identify new marketing-driven revenue opportunities, including digital content, event promotion, sponsor integrations, merchandise, licensing support, and audience monetization.
Establish measurable performance indicators tied to marketing’s contribution to revenue, participation, sponsorship value, audience growth, and organizational priorities.
Lead the USPA’s communications strategy, including public relations, media relations, executive messaging, member communications, event communications, and issue-sensitive communications.
Ensure all public-facing communications are clear, accurate, timely, professional, and aligned with USPA values, governance requirements, and strategic priorities.
Work closely with executive leadership, legal, compliance, committees, and program leaders on communications involving sensitive member matters, disciplinary issues, equine welfare, governance issues, championship matters, and other reputation-sensitive topics.
Develop proactive media and storytelling strategies that elevate the sport, highlight players and horses, promote clubs and championships, recognize sponsors, and strengthen the Association’s reputation.
Oversee press releases, media statements, executive remarks, newsletters, website content, social media messaging, and other official communications.
Lead the USPA’s digital marketing strategy across website, email, social media, paid media, video, OTT/streaming promotion, and emerging platforms.
Oversee the development of compelling content that tells the story of polo, promotes USPA championships, supports member and club engagement, strengthens sponsor value, and grows fan interest.
Develop content calendars, campaign plans, social media strategies, and digital engagement programs that support USPA priorities.
Use data and analytics to evaluate content performance, audience engagement, campaign effectiveness, digital reach, and return on marketing investment.
Partner with broadcast, production, event, and digital teams to promote live streams, archived content, championship coverage, and other USPA media assets.
Develop and execute marketing plans for USPA championships, major tournaments, NPC-related initiatives, national events, member programs, and other Association priorities.
Partner with event operators, clubs, sponsors, broadcast teams, committees, and staff to ensure consistent messaging, professional promotion, and strong audience engagement.
Support event attendance, sponsor visibility, fan experience, member communication, and post-event reporting.
Ensure that major events reinforce the USPA brand, elevate the sport, and create value for members, sponsors, clubs, and spectators.
Lead and manage the USPA marketing and communications team, including brand, communications, digital, content, social media, creative, sponsorship activation, and marketing operations functions.
Create a high-performing, collaborative, service-oriented department that supports the needs of the Association while maintaining clear priorities, accountability, and execution discipline.
Manage outside agencies, freelancers, vendors, media partners, creative resources, and production partners as needed.
Establish department goals, individual performance expectations, workflows, approval processes, reporting standards, and project management systems.
Develop staff capabilities in modern marketing practices, digital tools, content development, analytics, communications, and stakeholder service.
Establish clear KPIs for marketing and communications activities, including audience growth, member engagement, event promotion, sponsor value, digital performance, campaign ROI, social media engagement, email performance, website traffic, OTT promotion, and brand visibility.
Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on marketing performance, campaign results, audience trends, budget use, and strategic recommendations.
Use data to guide decision-making, improve marketing effectiveness, allocate resources, and demonstrate the value of marketing investments.
Monitor sports industry trends, NGB best practices, fan behavior, digital media trends, sponsorship activation models, and emerging technologies that may benefit the USPA.