28/10/2014
NEWS STORY
Haas F1 Team has named Adam Jacobs as its chief marketing officer (CMO). He will lead brand strategy and partnership development for the Haas team, which will make its debut in 2016, becoming the first American-led F1 team in 30 years.
Jacobs comes to Haas from Anheuser-Busch where he was the sports marketing manager for the company's Budweiser brand in NASCAR and the Bud Light brand in the NFL and college sports. In that role, he oversaw sponsorship programs collectively valued in the billions, which included Budweiser's sponsorship of Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Bud Light Hotel during Super Bowl XLVIII in New York City.
"Adam came highly recommended to Haas F1 Team and he brings a wealth of sports marketing experience to our organization," said Joe Custer, chief operating officer, Haas F1 Team. "The projects Adam has overseen are global in scope, involving numerous partners and constituencies. He's built great relationships during his career and we're proud to have him at Haas F1 Team."
Jacobs has amassed extensive experience in and around the sports industry within the corporate, property, agency and academic settings. Prior to his role at Anheuser-Busch, Jacobs joined the NFL's St. Louis Rams in 2006 as director of marketing before becoming the team's vice president in 2009. He has also held positions at the Indy Racing League, General Motors R*Works, Washington Mutual Bank and the Miami Fusion of Major League Soccer. Jacobs has been a member of the Sports Business Advisory Board at Saint Louis University since 2008 and has been an adjunct professor of sports business at the school since 2010.
"It's a great opportunity to develop and launch a global brand in an organization led by someone as driven and accomplished as Gene Haas," said Jacobs. "With strong support and leadership already in place, Haas F1 Team is clearly positioned for success. I look forward to helping shape the ways we achieve that success on and off the racetrack."
Haas Automation, Inc., the CNC machine tool builder Haas F1 Team chairman Gene Haas founded in 1983, will serve as the team's primary sponsor. However, Jacobs is positioning the team to partner with other high-profile brands that desire to reach a global audience.
"One of our key objectives as the only American F1 team is to help grow the sport domestically," said Jacobs. "With the massive global reach of Formula One, Haas F1 Team is also uniquely positioned to provide a platform for brands seeking to grow their businesses in key markets abroad."
While the 2016 Formula One season is more than a year out, preparation for Haas' debut is well underway. Work is nearing completion on an 11.600 square-meter (125,000 square-foot) facility adjacent to the NASCAR team in Kannapolis, North Carolina, that will house the F1 Team. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late November.