USA Shooting Hires Rob Weekes to Head Marketing Efforts

[USA Shooting]

USA Shooting has announced the hiring of Robert (Rob) Weekes to lead its marketing efforts as the two-year countdown to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games approaches.

Weekes will fill the USA Shooting position of Chief Marketing Officer and lead USA Shooting’s sponsorship and general fundraising department, returning that function to USA Shooting from the USA Shooting Team Foundation. In his role as Chief Marketing Officer for USA Shooting, Weekes will now oversee all fundraising and strategic marketing efforts on behalf of the organization while working cohesively with the USA Shooting Team Foundation in its mission to support the USA Shooting Team through a gifts program.

In this role, he’ll be responsible for identifying new sponsorship opportunities as well as helping ensure the fulfillment of all current sponsor and partner obligations with the assistance of Director of Resource Development Corrie West and Coordinator of Resource Development Sara Daum.

“We’re fortunate to have a person with Rob’s background and credentials willing to assist us in aligning our strategic marketing and fundraising efforts,” said USA Shooting CEO/Executive Director Robert Mitchell. “Given our history, our athletic success and the vast shooting sports industry we identify with, there’s tremendous potential and opportunity for growth. The addition of Rob to work with the efforts of our Foundation and current staff members will put our organization on a path to better realize our funding potential to support our programs and athletes.”

Rob Weekes has over 30 years of experience with major corporations and non-profit sports organizations including two years with the U.S. Fencing Association. In each of his roles throughout his career, Weekes has consistently generated a significant increase in customer interest while increasing revenue through innovative sales ideas and results-oriented efforts. His marketing experience includes stints as a small-business owner and NGB executive along with corporate roles in advertising and sales for Car and Driver, American Online and The New York Times Sports and Leisure Magazine Group.

The draw of the Olympic movement, and the shooting sports was enough to entice Weekes’ move from his role as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch where he had been employed since 2011. His performance at Merrill Lynch helped earn him a Practice Management Development Excellence award in 2013.

“I am pleased to have been chosen to lead the marketing efforts for USA Shooting,” Weekes said. “From the elite Olympians to the grassroots shooting sports enthusiasts, USA Shooting members embody success, sportsmanship, safety and responsibility. It is truly an honor to be associated with this great sport and organization.”

From 2009 to 2011, Weekes served as Director of Marketing and Business Development for U.S. Fencing and was also publisher for American Fencing Magazine. In that role he was responsible for an organizational re-branding initiative, streamlined magazine costs and boosted incremental revenue while also delivering a $1.6 million sponsorship opportunity to the organization.

His familiarity with NGBs and Olympic sport extends beyond fencing in a previous role as small business owner from 2006-2009 where he provided business development support for USA Taekwondo, USA Badminton and USA Canoe/Kayak.

Weekes lives northwest of Colorado Springs with wife, Maureen, an Associate Manager of Communications for the United States Olympic Committee. He’s an avid guitar player and music connoisseur with a love of all things Michigan State given his Great Lakes state roots. He graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and Science in 1982 and later went on to earn his master’s degree in Business Administration from Denver University in 2009.