William Bortz
Mission Viejo,CA
Summary
Dynamic leader with a proven track record challenging the status quo and making a brand's cultural impact through innovative sports and music partnerships. Expert in strategic leadership and business development, adept at forging sports, music, gaming and entertainment partnerships and executing integrated marketing strategies. Recognized for exceptional negotiation skills and a visionary approach to both a traditional scaled presence as well as innovative digital transformation.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Vice President, Growth & Client Success
PUBLICIS MEDIA
Chicago, IL
01.2021 - Current
- Spearheaded a first-ever center of excellence within Publicis Media to address the marketing shift from mainstream media toward content and innovation.
- Both media and digital agencies within Publicis, such as Spark Foundry, Starcom, Zenith, Digitas, and Razorfish, tapped our group for new client ideas, resulting in agency growth.
- Responsible for driving more than $40 million in revenue during 2024 with programs that touched on culture, including sports, entertainment, music, and gaming partnerships.
- I chaired the music partnership team for agency brands, resulting in innovative programs for brands such as Mastercard and Mondelez.
- Directed annual budgeting process and oversaw financial performance of departmental operations.
- Drove revenue by cultivating successful client relations.
- Collaborated with senior management on long-term planning initiatives that aligned with corporate goals.
- Leveraged company's mission and vision statements to craft business strategies and boost revenue opportunities.
- Led strategic planning and execution to enhance profitability and company growth.
Director, Marketing & Brand Partnerships
TACO BELL CORPORATION
Irvine, CA
01.2005 - 01.2021
- Created new brand partnership group at Taco Bell, which oversaw strategy and creative implementation that delivered status-quo-breaking initiatives for the $10B brand
- Led a cross-functional, integrated marketing team across creative, media, social media and PR that touched across sports, entertainment, music and gaming partnerships
- Directed category-leading sponsorship investments with MLB, NBA, College Football and Music, partnering with Media teams on amplification strategies with ESPN, FOX, Turner, Home Team Sports, iHeartRadio, Viacom and others that provided mass and targeted TV, Social Media and Digital platforms
- Led the negotiation teams for Taco Bell that resulted in five MLB renewals, four NBA renewals, and four College Football renewals all while evolving the creative approach and asset targets to best deliver results for the business
- Created award-winning, culturally-relevant, sales-driving and brand-building programs including 'Steal a Base, Steal a Taco' held at MLB’s World Series, 'Steal a Game, Steal a Taco' held during the NBA Finals, the 'Live Mas Student Section' at the College Football Playoff, 'Feed the Beat' a music program
- Led experiential marketing team charged with driving brand buzz and sales of new products
- Award-winning programs developed across a variety of cultural events including a Container Store at SXSW, a Speakeasy in NYC and the Bell Hotel
- Identified opportunities to change approach to agency briefings which introduced a new cross-agency, integrated marketing communications process and briefing structure
- Received numerous Yum and Taco Bell employee awards including President’s Awards in 2007 and 2015, CMO awards in 2006, 2010, 2012 and an International GM award in 2019
Vice President, Automotive Practice Director and West Coast Sports Marketing Leader
HILL & KNOWLTON, INC.
Irvine, CA
01.1999 - 01.2005
- Served as strategic counselor for Mazda North America, BF Goodrich Tires, Allstate Insurance Company, Ford Motor Company, the Rose Bowl Game and TaylorMade-adidas Golf
- Developed and executed creative pitches, stunts and vehicle unveilings for Mazda across their vehicle portfolio that included the RX-8, Miata, Mazda3, Mazda6 and the introduction of the CX-5 and CX-7 SUV line
- Created lifestyle marketing programs for the Ford Motor Company to better cross promote their vehicles including the launch of the Ford GT
- Designed strategic marketing program to support Allstate’s U.S
- Olympic sponsorship culminating in the reunion of the 1980 U.S
- Olympic Hockey Team and lighting of the Olympic Torch
- Ran launch strategy for Allstate’s 'Field-Goal Net' program that has led to a two-decade college football platform
- Named H&K Employee of the Year in 2003
THE ROBBINS GROUP
Tarzana, CA
- Sports and Entertainment marketing, handled primary accounts that included Miller Brewing Company, Speedo, Target, Dr
- Pepper, LPGA and the Association of Volleyball Professionals
- Developed Speedo Village experiential concept at the 1996 Summer Olympics, combining media center and VIP hospitality
- This access to Olympic athletes and their families led to amazing storytelling
PALMER-WOODROW SPORTS INC.
Santa Monica, CA
- Sports marketing, managed programs for Coppertone Sport and Bausch & Lomb on the AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour
WORLD CUP USA 1994 INC.
Pasadena, CA
- Served as liaison between World Cup USA 1994 and members of the international and domestic press
Education
Bachelor of Arts - History
University of Colorado
BoulderSkills
- Sports Marketing
- Music Partnerships
- Integrated Marketing
- Creative and Advertising
- Media and sponsorship
- Entertainment Partnership Development
- Strategic leadership
- Business Planning
- Negotiation
- Experiential
- Strategic plans
- Digital transformation
- Business development
Professional Highlights
- Created Taco Bell’s 'Steal A Base, Steal A Taco' sports marketing initiative that has woven itself into MLB’s World Series over the past decade, delivering consistent same-store sales and transaction results, while building brand buzz that results annually in 1 billion impressions across earned and owned media platforms for Taco Bell.
- Architected Taco Bell’s music strategy, including developing its 'Feed the Beat' music initiative. Over its nineteen year history, the program has introduced bands to fans and includes more than 1700 artists. Its mission statement is great music, free food, no strings attached, setting out to redefine partnerships between brands and bands. It still remains Taco Bell’s longest standing initiative in its history.
- Created and negotiated Taco Bell’s 'Live Mas Student Section' that celebrates college student sections as the heart and soul of college football, a program that resulted in a 12-year partnership with ESPN that is worth hundreds of millions in investment.
- Led the creative team who crafted the 'Live Mas Scholarship' for the Taco Bell Foundation, which awards young adults who are innovators, creators and dreamers with scholarships to pursue their dreams, awarding more than $20M in scholarships over the past four years.
- Chaired creative, media and integrated marketing teams that brought to life 'Hello Everywhere' a CLIO-award winning film at SXSW. The film told the story of Passion Pit returning to SXSW at the height of their career and sharing the stage with first-time attendee Wildcat! Wildcat! The movie was directed by decorated filmmaker Sam Jones and for the first time, used fan-generated video sourced through Twitter.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Vice President, Growth & Client Success
PUBLICIS MEDIA
01.2021 - Current
Director, Marketing & Brand Partnerships
TACO BELL CORPORATION
01.2005 - 01.2021
Vice President, Automotive Practice Director and West Coast Sports Marketing Leader
HILL & KNOWLTON, INC.
01.1999 - 01.2005
THE ROBBINS GROUP
PALMER-WOODROW SPORTS INC.
WORLD CUP USA 1994 INC.
Bachelor of Arts - History
University of Colorado
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