CEO MONTHLY / JANUARY 2025 17 Be Present, Be Focused, B-Engaged Located in East London, B-Engaged is on a mission to unite brands with sporting audiences to spark engaging conversations that resonate and redefine culture. Driven by the values of passion, innovation, enjoyment, unity, sustainability, and integrity, B-Engaged strives to achieve its vision of reforming the sports marketing industry through transformative partnership activation campaigns. “Our mission, vision, and values are all interlinked to drive the sports industry to better deliver sports campaigns and initiatives which maximise brands and athletes’ value to their fans,” Ehsen tells us. “Without fans, sport is nothing and to ensure that, we put fans and people at the centre of our way of working.” Before founding B-Engaged, Ehsen achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of East Anglia in 2013. After graduating from university, he embarked on two business journeys involving other business partners. Whilst these businesses were in similar fields, they did not work out as expected and Ehsen decided to strike out on his own with B-Engaged. Ehsen established B-Engaged in 2016, opting to run the business in alignment with his vision and ethos. This approach ultimately paid off; B-Engaged is a thriving business to-date, whilst the other business ventures did not last longer than two years. His role as the CEO requires Ehsen to possess operational knowledge of the business across every aspect of its operations, including clients, projects, growth, and retention. This enables Ehsen to effectively connect the dots and provide ample support to his team when and where necessary. At B-Engaged, Ehsen’s role is spread across its four offices around the world, leading him to work closely with his managing directors in North America, Germany, and the Middle East and North Africa region, whilst providing equal support to his senior management team within the UK office. This structure enables Ehsen to remain involved in every aspect of the business, staying up to date with any emerging developments from all corners of the globe. “From new business development, campaign ideations, pitching, client management, and team operations, my role covers the majority of the B-Engaged ecosystem, supporting our teams to help grow the business,” says Ehsen. “My belief is that I should be present and available for our senior leadership whilst also allowing them to have the room and space to make their own decisions. I usually try to provide help through information – sharing past experiences or knowledge from outside of the business that may help our teams deliver the best possible work.” Ehsen has kept his leadership style consistent over the years, though stopping to assess and adjust whenever the company has reached an obstacle. This way, Ehsen allows himself to learn from these moments and ensures that a mistake is never made twice. Aside from direct experience, Ehsen cites his leadership abilities to have been shaped from influences and teachings provided in books read over the years. “When I am faced with a challenge, task, or am forward planning a situation, I research into books that can help me to learn and grow,” he says. Looking ahead, Ehsen tells us that B-Engaged plans to continue growing internationally with its teams within its four markets of operation. Plans for onboarding new team members and clients are now in effect, following a successful first year of acting as a global company with centralised resources. As the sports industry continues to grow at a rapid rate, Ehsen is determined to grow alongside it and establish B-Engaged as a prominent market player, earning himself the welldeserved title of Sports Marketing CEO of the Year 2024 - UK. As for those hoping to follow in Ehsen’s prestigious footsteps, the CEO shares some parting advice. “It’s okay to not know the answers to all the situations in front of you,” he says. “Build a team who can help you in the areas you are not the strongest in, double-down on the areas you are, and own this knowledge pool within your business. Research and gather information from other sources to help inform you of how best to maximise your own knowledge pool and others around you, which in turn builds a team who are collectively well researched and knowledgeable in their fields of specialties.” Contact: Ehsen Shah Company: B-Engaged LTD Web Address: https://www.b-engaged.co.uk/ B-Engaged is a London-based marketing agency that specialises in engaging brands with athletes and sporting audiences around the world, with clients ranging from start-ups to globally recognised brands. The agency is driven by Founder and CEO Ehsen Shah, who has received recent recognition in the CEO of the Year Awards 2024. Below, we speak with Ehsen to find out more in the wake of this monumental achievement. Nov24382
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