Stew Townsend
About Stew Townsend
Stew Townsend is the Head of Brand Marketing & Partnerships at Ladbrokes, where he has significantly contributed to the brand's growth and recognition. With a background that includes leadership roles at Manchester United and Sportech, he has received multiple awards for his marketing campaigns.
Work at Entain
Stew Townsend has been serving as the Head of Brand Marketing & Partnerships for Ladbrokes at Entain since 2019. In this role, he has successfully driven record numbers of active customers and achieved double-digit top and bottom line growth year-over-year for the Ladbrokes brand in the UK and Ireland. Additionally, he serves as the Global Marketing Lead for Entain's grassroots sports investment programme, Pitching In, which aims to empower communities, associations, and athletes through various sponsorship, funding, and education initiatives.
Previous Experience in Marketing
Before joining Entain, Stew Townsend held several significant marketing roles. He worked at Manchester United as Head of Marketing, Digital & Media from 2011 to 2019, where he contributed to the club's marketing strategies. Prior to that, he was the Marketing Manager at Sportech from 2008 to 2011 and served as Acquisition Manager at The Football Pools from 2004 to 2008. He also worked as a Campaign Executive at Lloyds Banking Group from 2002 to 2004.
Education and Expertise
Stew Townsend studied at The Manchester Metropolitan University, where he earned a BA (Hons) in Retail Marketing with a 2:1 Class with Honours from 1998 to 2002. He has also been studying at CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing since 2002, further enhancing his expertise in marketing strategies and practices.
Achievements in Brand Marketing
Under Stew Townsend's leadership, the Ladbrokes brand achieved 'Super Brand' status in the 2021 edition of the prestigious Superbrands publication. He received a Bronze Clio Sport Award for the Music Production for Drummers campaign at the Clio Awards in 2021. Additionally, he led a campaign that was recognized as Campaign of the Week by Campaign Magazine during Euro 2020 and won the Football Sportsbook of the Year award at the SBC Awards in 2021.
Advisory Role at ISBA
Stew Townsend served as a Steering Group Advisor at ISBA from 2020 to 2022. In this role, he contributed to discussions and initiatives aimed at improving the marketing landscape, leveraging his extensive experience in brand marketing and partnerships.