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Park City-based U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) has reached out to the sailing world for its new chief commercial officer.
Dan Barnett is being brought in from the America's Cup Event Authority and Oracle Team USA, where he was responsible for raising the sailing race's profile and commercial value.
"We have an opportunity at U.S. Ski & Snowboard to dramatically enhance our brand and the revenue needed to drive our athletic programs," said Tiger Shaw, president and CEO for the governing body of the national ski and snowboarding teams.
He said Barnett is uniquely qualified to fill this new position, which is designed to take advantage of one of the strongest brands in the Olympic movement, with well-known athletes, committed sponsors and a "powerful presence" in international broadcast and digital media.
In the past two Winter Olympics, USSA athletes won 38 medals, including 14 gold.
"Dan Barnett brings a fascinating array of global experience in brand development, commercial sales and both broadcast and digital media," Shaw added. "It's timely for him to join our team" just before USSA holds a June 21-23 summit with 100-plus team sponsors in anticipation of next February's Winter Games in South Korea.
A native of Great Britain who received a law degree from Nottingham Law School, Barnett had a leadership role when the America's Cup was held in San Francisco in 2013. He has been promoting the race, held once every four years, since then.
Before that, he was a commercial and marketing attorney for the Union of European Football Associations in Switzerland, working on event management, commercial negotiations and media development.
The USSA is a plum assignment, Barnett said. "We have so many strong personalities who give us the opportunity to engage and inspire our fans. By building on this core strength … we can dramatically increase our fan engagement and create commercial opportunities for our global partners that are second to none in the sports industry."
Barnett will relocate to Park City with his wife and two children, Shaw said.