The Washington Commanders named Worcester native and Doherty alum Jim Rushton, a seasoned sports and entertainment sales and marketing executive with more than 10 years of NFL experience, to the role of chief partnerships officer, the team announced.
Rushton will be in charge of all aspects of sponsorships and will be a driving force in shaping the team’s revenue generation strategy. Rushton joins the Commanders from the Los Angeles Chargers, where he most recently served as senior vice president of business strategy and stadium affairs. Before this, he served as senior vice president and chief revenue officer for the Chargers.
At the Chargers, he led the relaunch of all aspects of sponsorship and ticketing revenue in the team’s relocation from San Diego to Los Angeles; the revenue strategy for the team’s transition from Dignity Health Sports Park to the opening of SoFi Stadium; and the on-going business relationship with SoFi Stadium.
“Jim is a dynamic sports and entertainment sales and marketing leader, with a unique ability to combine vision, strategy, and execution to deliver quantifiable revenue growth,” said team President Jason Wright in a statement. “He brings both creative and analytical skills to his work and is an inclusive leader who will be able to make an immediate impact in this role.”
Founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, the NFL team moved to Washington, D.C., five years later, and changed its name do the Redskins until becoming the Commanders in 2020.
Rushton has built a career in sports and entertainment sales and marketing, having served as the global leader and partner for the sports and entertainment practice for IBM iX. He also was senior vice president and chief revenue officer for the Miami Dolphins after serving as the senior vice president of corporate partnerships and media for the team. He also spent 13 years with Audacy, Inc. New England as vice president, of sales and business development.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Commanders at such a pivotal moment in franchise history,” Rushton said in a statement. “Over the years, I’ve witnessed new ownership, new leadership, and a brand with a loyal fanbase as a recipe to create success in this business of sports we all love. The team has had tremendous momentum from a business perspective, and I’m looking forward to capitalizing on that momentum to attract new and meaningful partnerships while driving revenue so we can provide even greater support to football operations.”
