IMG Academy, which lays claim to being the “world’s leading sports education brand”, has announced the appointment of Michael Branch as its new vice president of Strategic Partnerships, where he will oversee the growth, management, and day-to-day execution of strategic partnerships across IMG Academy’s enterprise.
Branch will work cross-functionally to enhance brand alliances and drive new partnership opportunities.
Branch brings more than 20 years of experience building strategic partnerships across sports, media, and consumer technology including leadership roles at Pandora Radio and Mashable. Most recently, he served as SVP of Portfolio Partnerships at The Raine Group, where he supported their portfolio companies on commercial growth and go-to-market strategy — including RCX Sports, Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, and Reigning Champs.
Through his role at Raine, Branch worked closely with NCSA College Recruiting, a service of IMG Academy Online, helping guide strategy and develop brand partnerships that increased the company’s digital revenue and reinforced its commitment to creating unrivaled experiences for student-athletes around the world.
“Michael is a gamechanger in the world of strategic partnerships and we have no doubt his impact will be felt across our business immediately,” said IMG Academy Campus chief operating officer Mike Milliron. “His track record of growth, innovation, and collaboration across the sports and tech landscape, paired with his history supporting our IMG Academy Online business in a prior role, makes him the ideal person to lead this next chapter. He’ll help elevate our partnerships to new heights and continue to make our suite of on-campus and online experiences a one-of-one destination for student-athletes wanting to win their future.”
In his new role, Branch will manage relationships with existing brand partners — including Under Armour, Gatorade, Uni, Therabody, Dunlop, Merrill and others — while identifying new categories and growth opportunities that further enhance the unrivaled student-athlete experience across IMG Academy. Branch will be based at IMG Academy’s Bradenton, Florida campus.
