Bernard Mullin
Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, My Lord Mayor, distinguished friends, colleagues, graduands and guests.
Dr Bernard J. Mullin is Chairman and CEO of The Aspire Group, a leading global management and marketing consulting business focusing on the sport and entertainment industry. In partnership with its clients Aspire implements “Next-Practices” that are the product of incisive strategic consulting and research. Under Bernie Mullin's guidance, The Aspire Group has rapidly grown into a $50 million company with over 225 full-time employees serving more than 100 sport and entertainment industry clients located in seven countries on three continents. Aspire represents best-in-class leagues, universities, teams, sports properties and consumer brands. Aspire's purpose is best exemplified by the 30 plus proprietary Fan Relationship Management Centers currently operating in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom.
As an undergraduate, Bernie studied here at Coventry University, achieving a BA (hons) in Business Studies in 1972. Whilst an undergraduate Bernie’s aptitude and passion for sport was clearly evident. Bernie represented the university at football and captained the team to two British College Finals. He then went on to play semi-professional football for Oxford City FC. On moving to the United Sates his coaching career included a Big 8 Soccer Championship in 1976 with the University of Kansas, and back-to-back East Coast Athletic Conference Soccer Championships with the University of Massachusetts.
Before founding the Aspire Group in 2008, Bernie’s career was comprised of a number of high profile and significant posts. Following his post as Professor of Sport Management and Marketing at the University of Massachusetts; Bernie became Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986. In 1991, he then became Senior Vice President for Business with the Colorado Rockies and following this, from 1993 to 1995, he was the President/General Manager for the Denver Grizzlies. From 1995 to 1999, Bernie was the Vice Chancellor of Athletics at the University of Denver and in 2000 become the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Team Business Operations for the National Basketball Association. From 2004 until 2008 he was the President/CEO of the Atlanta Hawks; Atlanta Thrashers and Philips Arena.
In 1993, Bernie, along with Dr Bill Sutton and Dr Steve Hardy, wrote the highly influential and acclaimed book, Sport Marketing. Sport Marketing was the first book to be published on the subject and is now in its 4th edition, has been published in 11 languages and has sold over 50,000 copies worldwide.
In his career, he has specialized predominantly in start-ups and turn-around situations, building winning organizations and developing people to sustained peak performance. Bernie and the Aspire staff have a highly successful track record of rapidly growing revenues and attendance to unprecedented levels while simultaneously reducing operating losses. This is accomplished through the creation and execution of many of Aspire's proprietary "Next-Practices" programs that have helped to produce numerous league and franchise all-time attendance records, record revenue and profit growth and increased enterprise value. Bernie holds a PhD in Business, MBA and Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Kansas. He was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators in 1999 and the Sport Business Hall of Fame at Robert Morris University in 2012.
He has been active in the communities where he has lived, serving on the boards of the YMCA; the Make a Wish Foundation, Sports Council and Visitor Convention Bureau.
In his distinguished career, he has received numerous honors and recognitions including being dubbed "The Guru of Ticket Sales" by Sports Illustrated in 1993, "The Pirate of Profitability" in 1986 by the forerunner of the Sports Business Journal and being named the Boy Scouts of America "Peach of an Athlete Award" recipient in 2008. He is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma – the National Honor Society in Business. He is married to Valerie Wilkinson, and they have three children, Julie, Lara and Steven and a stepson, Chad, as well as three grandchildren Ian, Niame, and Roran. He is also expecting his fourth grandchild in June this year. Bernie enjoys playing and watching football, particularly Everton FC, playing golf, skiing and travelling with his family.
In recognition of the contribution he has made to the field of Sport Marketing, Coventry University, by decision of the Academic Board, has the privilege of conferring the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, on Bernard J. Mullin.