George Pyne (business executive)

George Pyne (born September 2, 1965) is a global business executive and founder of Bruin Sports Capital, a sports, media and branded lifestyle company, where he serves as CEO. Pyne established Bruin in 2015 to acquire growth companies using equity raised through his global network and reputation as a skilled operator and businessman. Since its founding eighteen months ago, Bruin's portfolio of companies has grown to include more than 1,000 employees across twenty-four offices in nine countries, and spans three core platforms – Experiences & Hospitality, Marketing Services an Sports Media & Technology. Pyne has raised equity capital as a result of his 25-year track record. Pyne also serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Courtside Ventures, a venture capital fund created in January 2016 that raised $35 million to invest in early-stage technology and media companies that focus on sports. Courtside Ventures is financially backed by Bruin investors Dan Gilbert and WPP. From 2006 to 2014, Pyne was the President of IMG Sports and Entertainment and a member of its board of directors. He was the driving force behind the earnings growth that resulted in the $2.4 billion sale of IMG to William Morris Endeavor from Forstmann Little's initial investment of $750 million. Prior to joining IMG, he served as Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR and was the second non-family member in the company’s history to join its board of directors.

Early life and education

Pyne grew up in Milford, Massachusetts and attended Brown University where he played football for the Brown Bears and majored in Political Science. While at Brown, he earned All-Ivy League and All-New England honors and served as the team's captain.

Career

After graduating from Brown, Pyne first worked for his family's real estate company in New England, and then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked with local business leaders and the chamber of commerce. Pyne analyzed the finances of the Atlanta Public School system and issued a 250-page report on the finances of the school system, which led to school reform. One of the local business leaders that worked with Pyne on the school report was the president of the Portman Cos. He hired Pyne to work for the global commercial real estate and trade show company. He became part of the team that oversaw its $2 billion debt restructuring.

Pyne's career in sports marketing began in 1994 while working with Portman, where he turned the commercial space owned by Portman into a corporate hospitality environment for the 1994 Atlanta Super Bowl XXVIII. He made a deal with the NFL Players Association for the event where 300 NFL players and VIPs could gather before the Super Bowl. Following the event, he created a division called AMC Events to manage and market sports related properties, with Pyne being executive director of the division. One of his early clients for AMC Events was NASCAR, whom he would later join.

Pyne's career with NASCAR began in 1995 as head of new business development. He later became the Chief Operating Officer and the second non-family member in 50 years to join its Board of Directors. His accomplishments with NASCAR included a $4.5 billion television rights deal in 2005, the $750 million sponsorship of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2004, investments by 100 of the Fortune 500 companies, the creation of a $2 billion licensing business and the recognition of the NASCAR brand as one of the most admired brands in North America.

Pyne was recruited by IMG in 2006, as President of Sports and Entertainment and a member of the IMG Board of Directors. As President of their global sports and entertainment business, he oversaw client management, college sports, consulting, IMG Performance (IMG Academy), licensing and U.S. business development. When he was hired, IMG was a professional athlete representation and sports marketing company, but had no collegiate presence. Pyne oversaw the acquisition of The Collegiate Licensing Company in 2007 which entered IMG into the collegiate sports market, acquired Host Communication in fall 2007 and ISP in fall 2010. These became part of the newly formed IMG College, a division of IMG that was referred to as the "crown jewel" of IMG by Forbes. IMG College conducted business with more than 200 universities; the revenues of its college division have grown to $484 million in 2013, with earnings during the same period growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 38 percent. IMG grew from its $750 million purchase price in 2004 to its $2.4 billion sale to William Morris Endeavor.

Pyne left IMG in 2014. In January 2015 he founded Bruin Sports Capital, a media, sports, marketing, and lifestyle branding company.

Awards and recognition

Pyne has been recognized as one of the most influential people in professional sports by Bloomberg Businessweek, The Sporting News and the Sports Business Journal. He is a member of both the National Football Foundation's Leadership Hall of Fame as well as the Sports Business Journal's Hall of Fame. Pyne was named one of Advertising Age's 'Top 100 Marketers' and is a recipient of the 2014 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. In 2015 he was honored by the Ivy League Football Association for lifetime achievement. Pyne currently serves on the board of the National Football Foundation.

Personal life

Pyne comes from a family of athletes who have played in the National Football League. His father, George Pyne III, played for the Boston Patriots (predecessor to the New England Patriots) of the American Football League in 1965. His grandfather, George Pyne II, played for the Providence Steam Roller of the NFL in 1931. His brother, Jim Pyne, also played in the NFL from 1994 to 2001, making the Pynes the first family to play three generations of professional football. Additionally, Pyne's father-in-law, Paul Harney, was an American professional golfer who won six PGA Tour events, finished in the top eight at the Masters four times and was inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.