Anderton Appointed ATP Chief Marketing Officer

U.K. sports and branding executive joins new ATP senior management team

Miami , FL , USA – The ATP, governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, today announced that U.K. sports executive Phil Anderton has been named the organization's Chief Marketing Officer. Anderton, 40, comes to the ATP with an extensive background in global sports management and consumer goods marketing including work with the Coca-Cola Company and Procter & Gamble.

Anderton most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Premier League's Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and prior to that worked with the Scottish Rugby Union as CEO as well as Commercial & Marketing Director. During his tenure with the Scottish Rugby Union, Anderton delivered record income and interest levels in rugby via new sponsorships, TV deals and ticket revenue.

“Phil is a critical component in our plan to revitalize the ATP for everyone involved in our sport, but first and foremost the fans,” said Etienne de Villiers, ATP Executive Chairman and President. “Phil's experience and knowledge will help us turn the ATP into a world-class marketing organization rather than just a governing body. He's got the passion needed to drive strategy, maintain standards and establish the ATP brand so it delivers for players, tournaments and sponsors. It's great to have him on board.”

Said Anderton: “ I'm very excited about working with Etienne and his team, and all the stakeholders in the game. We need to get the right collaboration, listen to customers and players, and then we can take the sport forward. There are many unique characteristics of tennis that other games don't have – it truly is a massive sport, one of the few global sports – and we can really make a difference.

“In all sports, people need to realize that days of people turning up and watching a sport without any thought to the whole experience is probably gone. It's a very competitive market, not just in sports but also in entertainment. We have to look at every single facet of the experience at an event but keep in mind that one key does not fit all the locks.”

While at Heart of Midlothian in 2005, Anderton delivered success on- and off-field following an overhaul of players and management. The 2005 squad played superbly (including a best-ever season start) and a new business plan resulted in a successful launch of a stadium project.  With the Scottish Rugby Union from June 2000 through the start of 2005, Anderton created a winning culture highlighted by a four-year strategic plan that accelerated the development of young players, restructured the sport and improved its financial standing.

Anderton worked at the Coca-Cola Company from 1993-2000, where he served as the Division Marketing Director of Central Europe, a Coca-Cola Global Brand Manager when he was based in Atlanta and the Marketing Manager of Diet Colas Great Britain. Anderton graduated with a degree in Management Studies with International Relations from St. Andrews University . (For more information on Anderton, please see the accompanying ATPtennis.com article)

Anderton will work out of the ATP's London office.

About ATP
With 64 tournaments in 31 countries in 2006, the ATP showcases the finest athletes competing in the world's most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia , the stars of the INDESIT ATP Rankings and the world's best teams in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race contend for prestigious titles at ATP Masters Series and other ATP tournaments. The season's top eight singles players and doubles teams will earn coveted berths at the elite 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the year-end championship held in China from Nov. 12-19. For more information, please visit www.ATPtennis.com

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