Profile

Stuart is a consultant to Penningtons Manches Cooper’s sports and entertainment group. He has extensive experience at a senior level of advising on sponsorship and fundraising within the cultural and sporting sectors, both across the UK and internationally. As the head of his own consultancy, Walker Smith, he exclusively handled commercial rights to the World Gymnastics Championships, the Football League, the Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions, and the first professional British Lions Rugby Tour to South Africa.

Following the retirement of his business partner, he has undertaken various consultancy roles, including advising The International Football Hall of Fame, Clipper Ventures Round the World Yacht Race, the 20-20 World Cricket Classic in Bermuda, The Lords Taverners and The Anna Chromy Foundation, as well as creating and implementing a 'Fellows' Fund raising programme for Westminster Abbey.

During his career he has also held senior account director posts, handling the sponsorship, licensing and merchandising interests of clients ranging from BMW and Jaguar to Gillette and Benson & Hedges. In his role as senior group vice-president of Telemundi International, he was responsible for extending the group’s licensing interests into the sponsorship arena through a network of 22 offices worldwide. As a result, it acquired the exclusive marketing rights to three consecutive FIFA World Cups.