Trevor Cairns
Chairman
Trevor is Chair and co-owner of leading independent creative agency LOVE, advising on the strategic and commercial development of the business, which counts global brands such as LVMH, William Grant & Sons, Heineken, Science in Sport, Campari and Barilla as clients.
Previously, Trevor held a number of senior Marketing and General Management leadership roles at Nike Inc., spanning a thirteen year period, including Brand Director EMEA Football, GM UK Football and CMO of then Nike Affiliate brand, Umbro.
While at Umbro, Trevor worked with LOVE on numerous strategic and creative projects, which culminated in Umbro being named "Sports Brand of the Year" at the prestigious Sports Industry Awards. When Nike sold Umbro in late 2012, he joined the agency as CEO, applying his experience and learnings from working with numerous creative shops and setting a growth agenda which saw LOVE grow revenue 4-fold and profitability 6-fold over the next decade.
Experience highlights
- 2022-Present
Chairman @ LOVE. Co-owner and board advisor on strategy and commercial development of the agency.
- 2013-2022
Chief Executive Officer @ LOVE. Key Responsibilities - Hired to lead the global development of the internationally renowned brand and marketing agency. Responsible for setting, communicating and implementing the agency strategy, working with an integrated approach across advertising, branding, brand strategy, design, digital and experiential, for prestigious brands such as Nike, Umbro, LVMH, Penfolds, Jim Beam, SK-II and Haagen-Dazs to name but a few. During my tenure LOVE. has grown revenue 4-fold and profitability 6-fold, winning over 300 awards in the process.
- 2009-2012
Chief Marketing Officer @ Umbro (Nike Inc.). Key Responsibilities - Creation and delivery of the global brand positioning for Umbro International post acquisition by Nike Inc. Direct management of a demand creation budget in excess of £80m pa. Global responsibility for the full marketing mix, including brand and corporate communications, digital, retail and sports marketing. Activation and maximization of relationships with major rights holders, including the FA and Manchester City FC. Line management responsibility for a team of 40 people.
- 2007-2008
Football General Manager, UK/Ireland @ Nike. Key Responsibilities - Full P&L accountability for the football category business, with revenues in excess of $300m, from strategic vision to financial management and marketplace execution. Leadership of the category management team (8 direct reports), including sales, marketing, sports marketing and product. Development of customer relationships with over 300 retail accounts across the UK and Ireland, focused on key multiples, Sports Direct, JJB and Lifestyle Sports. Ownership and maximization of relationships with leading professional clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Celtic.
- 2004-2007
Football Brand Director - EMEA @ Nike. Key Responsibilities - Led EMEA football marketing team responsible for the development of the World Cup '06 brand campaign - at the time the biggest brand initiative in Nike history. Ownership of a $100m demand creation budget. Directly accountable for all functional execution – brand communication, digital, PR, retail, visual merchandising and events. Responsible for the creation and implementation of “Stand Up, Speak Up”, (Thierry Henry led anti-racism initiative) across product, marketing, legal and corporate affairs. Direct management responsibility for 7 regional football category managers and leading the EMEA cross-functional football team.
- 2000-2004
Head of Football Marketing, UK/Ireland @ Nike. Direct responsibility for category brand strategy across all commercial functions, including sports marketing asset procurement.
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