Ian Nolan

Ian Nolan is an accomplished professional currently serving as the Chief Content Officer at Manchester United. With a passion for sports and technology, Ian has a remarkable track record in building and monetizing sports business, intellectual property, and rights. Beginning his journey by creating websites in his bedroom for local stores, Ian has gone on to create, acquire, and sell businesses globally, valuing over $1 billion.

Ian's career commenced in Silicon Valley, where he developed early algorithms for targeted advertising and content personalization, which laid the foundation for his in-depth understanding of digital and social platforms. Leveraging this expertise, he has provided guidance to prominent brands and business owners on navigating the digital landscape, online marketing, and social media.

During his tenure at Yahoo Sports, managing the platform for six years, Ian oversaw notable achievements such as Yahoo Fantasy Sports, which achieved remarkable engagement with 10 billion pageviews monthly. Additionally, he spearheaded bids for major sports rights, including securing rights for prestigious events like the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, NFL, NBA, and the Premier League clip rights package in 2008.

Maintaining his entrepreneurial drive, Ian has ventured into launching startups, acquiring and divesting companies, and establishing agencies across film/video production, PR, and social media. His agency boasted esteemed clients like Bose, Arsenal FC, Shell, Mercedes, Sony, and NBC. Ian also extends his expertise as an advisor and angel investor in socially impactful startups centered on EduTech, online safety, and climate change.

In 2018, Ian transitioned to the realm of sports clubs, assuming an executive position at Manchester United. In this role, he oversees all digital experiences, including club media, branded content, and e-commerce, propelling the brand to become the most engaged sports club globally, with a leading CRM database in the sports industry.

With a robust skill set and a deep understanding of sports, technology, AI, commercial strategies, algorithms, content creation, data analytics, leadership, social platforms, Web 3.0, Metaverse, blockchain, e-commerce, and fan engagement, Ian Nolan epitomizes the intersection of innovation and storytelling in the digital era.