The UFC today announced that David Allen has been appointed as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
His promotion to the role comes just thirteen months after joining the organization as Director of Events, Marketing and Communications for the EMEA side of the operation.
His new role was previously occupied by Garry Cook, the former Manchester City Football Club chief executive who has now been relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada as the UFC’s Chief Global Brand Officer.
“I have had the privilege of working with David over many years and his dedication, determination and drive will add great value,” says Cook.
“The UFC looks forward to the further growth of the brand in EMEA under David’s tutelage, as the organization targets new markets, partnerships and opportunities, including it’s largest European event to date in Stockholm next week.”
Allen added: “I am grateful for the confidence the company has placed in me and I look forward to working with a great team, both here in EMEA and in our Las Vegas office, as we work together to grow the UFC business across the region.”
Cook and Allen have made a big impact with the UFC owners since coming on board and that is reflected in the rapidity of their promotions.
Allen’s background in the world of sports marketing is extensive, commencing in a four-year role with Adidas in 1994. In 1998 he moved to Nike and by 2006 was General Manager of Nike Football EMEA, with his division clocking up over $1 Billion in sales and occupying the market leader position in some of Europe’s most hotly-contested markets.
That led to Allen being asked to head up the Umbro brand, both EMEA and USA, in 2010. Umbro is a pedigree heritage brand in the soccer world, owning a distinguished history but having suffered some eclipse in the preceding years. Allen was charged with growing revenues and developing and delivering turnaround strategies to key markets.
“Coming into mixed martial arts with the UFC was an opportunity similar to the one I saw when I started running Nike[‘s] football [operation]. When I began with them, nobody even knew what we were. People used to say to me, ‘Go away, you’re a crazy American basketball brand,'” he told Irish website the42.ie last year.
“You look at what Nike is in football now. They’re head-to-head with Adidas and even market leader in some countries around the world. I see the UFC and mixed martial arts at that stage. We’re a young brand, we’re eight or nine years in existence as the operation is now.
“I think the UFC have an absolutely amazing road that they can take this business to. I think we are becoming mainstream when you look here in Ireland or the UK or the US.”
Allen is Irish, a Dubliner, but based in the UK as he heads up the UFC’s EMEA office in London.