Full Name
J.P. Pollard
Job Title
Head of Live Events, Entertainment, Sports and Spectaculars
Company
Samsung Electronics America
Bio

Throughout his career, John has held various product marketing/management, business development, and strategy roles, and provided consulting services in the consumer goods, technology, and sports industries working with numerous identifiable corporations and influential brands in the world including Ray-Ban sunglasses, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, the NBA, and the NFL. 

At Microsoft John led a business team and strategic initiative that enabled the company to tell authentic and comprehensive stories regarding their various products and services via experiential environments. Also, while at Microsoft, John identified an opportunity to combine his strengths as a marketing executive and interest in technology product innovation with his passion for sports. John invented the ICE Player and Team Evaluation stats and analytics application that was first used by the 2010 Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints. Global sports information and technology leader STATS LLC. later acquired the ICE solution, along with the acquisition John was brought in to start and lead a new business unit within STATS called the Sports Solutions Group – a unit charged with combining innovative technologies, unique information services, subject matter expertise, and new content sources to deliver enhanced value to team and media clients as well as fans and brand sponsors. 

During this time, John has become recognized as a visionary and thought leader in sports statistics, analysis and technology and media and entertainment services. He is a frequent guest commentator on sport radio shows including SiriusXM’s NFL Channel, and high-profile podcasts and television broadcasts including Bloomberg television’s Fast Money. He is frequently sought for commentary and opinions regarding new sport and entertainment content concepts, and sports information and technology strategies in various industry publications from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. John’s work in sports technology and analytics is highlighted in various books about the evolution and use of analytics and technology in sports. 
As an industry consultant, John continued to enjoy collaborating closely with team and media clients, including NFL and NCAA coaching staffs and personnel departments, and on-air talent helping them derive insights and knowledge from their various information sources and analytical studies to aid in game planning and strategy, self-scouting, player evaluation, and roster valuation. 

Most recently John led Zebra Technologies Sports and Entertainment business, a division of Zebra Technologies the company that is the “Official On-Field Player-Tracking Provider for the NFL.” At Zebra, he served as Vice President of Business Development for Zebra Sports and Entertainment, leading the company’s team engagement efforts with the NFL, NCAA, as well as other sports around the globe. In addition to his management responsibilities John continued to work directly with league and team personnel including coaching, personnel, and analytics staffs around the NFL and college football helping organizations use statistical, analytical, and player-tracking/performance data and technologies to work more efficiently and support informed decision-making.

Currently, John leads the Live Event, Entertainment, Sports, and Spectaculars business for Samsung’s Display Division.

J.P. Pollard