For sure. It would have been a safe bet to have stayed at the LTA for another couple of years. Ironically SEAT was the catalyst for the change; it gave me the inspiration and confidence that we could be doing so much more, and I think I'd probably become a little bit frustrated that we weren't able to push through some of the incredibly dynamic programs we had in the works.
So I was really keen to put myself out there and a take a risk, look at who was really innovating and pushing the envelope with digital and fan engagement. It was a coin flip between UFC and Formula E in the end. With UFC you know they had to go OTT.
They had to rely on digital and content to tell their story as they struggled to secure linear partners, and build up athletes like Connor McGregor rather than just showing live footage, so they really led the way there.
I can still remember going into Formula E for my interview. I met their Director of Media and their CEO and was blown away by their ambition; they had no cars or cities secured with 6 months until their first race but pulled it out the bag. They were the polar opposite to British Tennis, crazy aggressive in their growth and ambition; they were almost like a fast scaling tech company pre IPO in that sense. I’m still yet to meet a CEO as dynamic and as ambitious as Alejandro (Agag, Formula E CEO).
What we were able to build is a real testament to the passion, skill set and team they had there.
It was a huge amount of fun, massive. I had the chance to visit every major continent in my time there. 23 different countries I think it was, so I learned a lot about the world.
I learned a huge amount about different territories and how to market to them; your approach to marketing in the Middle East is very different to North America etc.
We always had to fight to make ourselves heard above the noise as a nascent sport, so we really did have to innovate; AR, VR, the esports stuff we really pioneered as a sport. We were in early stage with HTC, Magic Leap etc – cutting edge stuff. Very exciting times.
Ultimately though, that was a time in my life when my son had only just been born (he’s almost three now), so traveling two or three weeks a month was super difficult. So I made the difficult opportunity to move on. There’s no sport quite like Formula E though, and they’re starting to make real headway in their ambitions with incredible growth.
Coming from working at the LTA, with a national governing body, you made a huge leap of faith. and you took a risk transitioning to working for a newly formed league, Formula E. I'm sure it was scary and exciting all at the same time.
How has having a baby changed your perspective on life and your work?
You become an awful lot more empathetic to other’s challenges. Having managed both small and large teams you’re not always cognizant of your staffs needs on a personal development level, but having a child forces you to think about others like never before. It tests your patience.
Becoming a parent, You become incredibly good at being patient. Your multitasking skills go through the roof and I think I've learned to prioritize a lot more effectively in my working life.
I've become a lot more organized, I've become much more structured. I think from a business perspective that empathy is really key. You understand better because you can put yourself in someone else's shoes and it does give you a real sense of responsibility. Prior to children coming along you can be quite selfish with your life and career, then suddenly there’s this tiny person that is 100% reliant on you. It’s micro-management at the most extreme! It’s been incredibly enlightening; I think I've probably grown as a person massively in the last three years.
TOM HALLS INTERVIEW
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