Steven Falk
Founder
Star Sports Marketing

Graduating from Manchester University in 1978 where he took a BA (Honours) degree in Psychology, Steven started his career in the motor industry first with Austin Morris and then Ford Motor Company before taking an MBA at Warwick University specialising in International Marketing and Strategic Planning, graduating in 1982.

There followed progressively senior roles in the Marketing and Commercial departments of Astra Zeneca; United Utilities; Great Universal Stores and MBNA, latterly as Head of Affinity Marketing and Senior Vice President. During this period, he worked on a range of assignments in the UK, Eastern & Western Europe, North America, Asia and Australia on projects as diverse as the optimisation of a sales force strategy in Japan and the acquisition of Argos by GUS Home Shopping Group.

In 2001, Steven joined Manchester United as Director of Financial Services. Following the successful planning, launch and development of the MU Finance business promoting a range of club-branded FS products to fans in over 20 countries worldwide Steven was promoted to Director of Marketing & Commercial Services, adding Sponsor Relationship Management, Brand Marketing, CRM and Club Pre-Season Tours to his existing Financial Services responsibilities.

In this role over the next 5 years, Steven managed the growth of the club's global Platinum sponsorship programme; established a new brand management function; designed and implemented a fully integrated CRM process and IT customer data management system; and organised several exhibition matches and pre-season tours for the club to cities in North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He served as a member of the Executive Committee of Manchester United and a board director of Manchester United Foundation the club's charitable trading arm.

In January 2010, Steven launched Star Sports Marketing, a specialist sports marketing consultancy. This business focuses on the key marketing disciplines of:

• Brand management and development of company vision and image
• Sponsorship activation, relationship management and retention
• Affinity marketing including development of own-brand financial services
• CRM including data management, organisation and event marketing

Steven is a regular contributor of articles on these subjects to the Marketing press and has worked with the World Academy of Sport at Manchester Business School as an expert contributor to the Executive Sports Management Education programme.