CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL

As CEO of New Zealand Rugby Commercial (NZRC) and previously Chief Commercial Officer of NZ Rugby, Richard drove exponential growth more than doubling sponsorship and broadcast revenue during his tenure whilst launching innovative platforms like NZR+. Richard conceptualised and the capital raise (with Suhr) which secured a minority equity sale to Silver Lake Partners at a $3.1B valuation. Before his time in sport, Richard led major transformations across global markets, including as CEO of DDB Group in Hong Kong, Southern China, and Japan, and as Managing Director of a New Zealand-based marketing firm acquired by WPP.

CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL

For two decades, Budge has been at the forefront of the sports industry working with some of the most progressive and innovative rights holders including Australian Open, FIFA, the WTA Tour, SailGP, and New Zealand Rugby. Renowned for his ability to drive transformative growth, Budge has secured over $250 million in new revenues and spearheaded strategic reforms. As Tournament Director of the ASB Classic, he transformed the event into a world-class success, achieving seven consecutive years of record profits, tripling revenues, and growing attendance fivefold. Budge has held governance roles for the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, New Zealand Rugby and within the the Tourism sector.

CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL

Rich brings over 25 years of leadership experience with global organisations such as EY, Google, and Accenture, specialising in technology, revenue management, M&A, capital raising, and large-scale transformation. As the Global Leader of EY Ventures, Rich established multiple $1B+ growth businesses and created innovative partnership models for capital and technology. He previously served as EY’s Global Digital Leader, overseeing $2B in annual revenue, and led a team focused on digital strategy, technology platforms, and capital raising for major sports clients, including the British and Irish Lions and New Zealand Rugby. A former Managing Director of Google’s Enterprise Division for Asia Pacific and Japan, Rich managed a $1B P&L and defined the region’s strategic direction. Rich combines his passion for sport with his expertise in scaling businesses, making him a key driver of innovative solutions in sports and technology.