Introducing Sam Halifax, Partnerships Director

I am Sam, Partnerships Director at Ten Toes.

I have spent the last 13 years working in the sports industry with some of the biggest brands and clubs in the world. For me, the most exciting thing about this space is helping brands connect with fans through meaningful partnerships.

Football has always been a big focus of my working life: I was at adidas for over eleven years where I managed some of football's biggest stars in the English Premier League, including some of world football’s most iconic figures in Paul Pogba and Mohamed Salah. My focus at adidas was to sign the best talent to the brand, working out how to best activate these players and managing anything and everything for them within the realms of adidas. I was lucky enough to work on some of the most legendary partnerships in football but also to join football players and clubs on their journey to the top. This included being part of the team that launched the record-breaking kit sponsorship between Manchester United FC and adidas in 2015, working with Mohamed Salah and witnessing his rise to the top after his transfer to Liverpool FC and seeing Jude Bellingham burst on the scene at Birmingham City.

In my early years at the brand, I worked within the football club’s commercial team looking after some of the brand's key football club partnerships. My time was always focused on how to activate the adidas and club partnership, helping clubs launch successful marketing campaigns and building strategies on how to maximise sales revenues. Within this period I was fortunate enough to work with some of adidas’ club’s most successful and celebrated moments. 

A personal favourite for me was Swansea City AFC’s route to winning the League Cup in their famous white and gold centenary jersey and celebrating the one-season wonder king Michu and his rise to football hero culture status. With this success, Swansea City AFC became everyone's second club. I managed the partnership during a time of incredible growth and it was a joy to be part of such a huge moment in the history of the club. I had two key roles during Swansea City AFC route to winning the League Cup, maximising the club joint brand activation campaigns and delivering huge business growth. It’s fair to say we comfortably did this!

Now, what have I learned in the last three months …?

1. A strong team is the key to success: Besides the best of all time (... Leo Messi), football is a team sport, much like Ten Toes. I have never worked with a group of people who complement each other so well. Each member of the Ten Toes team brings their own unique skills and talents to the table. This can be seen through the amazing work we deliver on a daily basis.  

2. Sport is the best industry in the world! Ever since my first day working in sport, I have continuously said there is no better place to work. Working with Ten Toes and spending time with their clients continues to reaffirm this for me. 

3. 2024 is going to be the ‘Year of Sport’: I believe that 2024 is going to be huge for sport and driving new audiences, with Copa 2024, Paris Olympics, UEFA European Championships and AFCON 2024 all taking place.

I am excited to be joining Ten Toes at such an exciting time and am confident that we can continue to play a pivotal role in helping brands connect with fans during this time.