Emilio Collins
Partner and Chief Business Officer
Excel Sports Management
As Partner and Chief Business Officer, Emilio Collins oversees the talent endorsement, property services and brand marketing business areas for Excel Sports Management. Collins also leads strategic growth initiatives for Excel, having launched the agency’s industry-leading properties business, its content arm Excel Media, its analytics business, and most recently growing into sports executive search through the acquisition of Nolan Partners in March, 2022. Collins also serves as Board Member for Excel.
Collins joined Excel in 2017 after a 15-year career at the National Basketball Association, where he served as Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships, overseeing the league’s marketing partnerships business, including partner management, business development, marketing solutions and media. Under Collins's leadership at the NBA, his department doubled global sponsorship revenues and secured a record number of league marketing partnerships. Collins oversaw a number of league sponsorship innovations, including developing the first-ever leaguewide timing partnership, and selling first-ever entitlement to the NBA’s development league.
From 2008 to 2010, Collins served as Senior Vice President of International Development, managing the development of the league's international business, including sponsorship, international games and new league initiatives. Previously, Collins served as the NBA's Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships, overseeing many of the league's major marketing partnerships. Collins began his NBA career as an account director in the marketing partnerships group in 2001.
Prior to joining the NBA, Collins worked as Director of Events at SFX Sports Group, where he built and managed the company's golf, consulting, hospitality and tennis events business. He joined SFX in 1999, when they acquired Integrated Sports International, for which Collins had been working since 1996.
Collins is involved in a variety of community initiatives, including serving as a board member for Beat The Streets, a non-profit organization providing underserved youth with wrestling and life skills development, as well as TopSpin, an annual sports industry nonprofit he co-founded which benefits youth educational causes. He is also a member of the Alumni Advisory Board at the Ohio University Sports Administration Program and in 2020 was named the program’s Distinguished Alumnus. In 2012, Collins was recognized as a Forty Under 40 recipient from the Sports Business Journal.
Collins graduated from Michigan State University, where he was also a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, and holds a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University.
Collins joined Excel in 2017 after a 15-year career at the National Basketball Association, where he served as Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships, overseeing the league’s marketing partnerships business, including partner management, business development, marketing solutions and media. Under Collins's leadership at the NBA, his department doubled global sponsorship revenues and secured a record number of league marketing partnerships. Collins oversaw a number of league sponsorship innovations, including developing the first-ever leaguewide timing partnership, and selling first-ever entitlement to the NBA’s development league.
From 2008 to 2010, Collins served as Senior Vice President of International Development, managing the development of the league's international business, including sponsorship, international games and new league initiatives. Previously, Collins served as the NBA's Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships, overseeing many of the league's major marketing partnerships. Collins began his NBA career as an account director in the marketing partnerships group in 2001.
Prior to joining the NBA, Collins worked as Director of Events at SFX Sports Group, where he built and managed the company's golf, consulting, hospitality and tennis events business. He joined SFX in 1999, when they acquired Integrated Sports International, for which Collins had been working since 1996.
Collins is involved in a variety of community initiatives, including serving as a board member for Beat The Streets, a non-profit organization providing underserved youth with wrestling and life skills development, as well as TopSpin, an annual sports industry nonprofit he co-founded which benefits youth educational causes. He is also a member of the Alumni Advisory Board at the Ohio University Sports Administration Program and in 2020 was named the program’s Distinguished Alumnus. In 2012, Collins was recognized as a Forty Under 40 recipient from the Sports Business Journal.
Collins graduated from Michigan State University, where he was also a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, and holds a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University.