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Prior to joining the World Poker Tour, Hughes was Executive Vice President of SFX Sports Group, a global leader in sports marketing. Hughes worked with all SFX divisions - basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, golf, tennis, events, marketing, media, financial services and Australian operations. Hughes also served as Vice President, Business Development at Integrated Sports International (ISI) and created licensing programs for top brands including Cadillac, Notre Dame, Wheaties and the Association of Professional Volleyball Players (AVP). Hughes also led or worked on teams providing strategic consulting for clients like AOL, Burger King, FootAction stores, Disney Attractions, the Anaheim Angels, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers.
After two years at Dell Publishing as their financial manager, NFL Properties hired Hughes to be a financial manager for the publishing division. Shortly afterwards, Hughes became senior director of the NFL's Retail Licensing Program where he was responsible for maximizing profits in publishing, collectibles, trading card and player categories. Hughes played a key role in the formation of the NFL Quarterback Club, which packaged the game's top quarterbacks as a marketing powerhouse. He helped this startup venture generate significant licensing and endorsement revenue for each player. The program lasted a dozen years, attracting marquee sponsors like Domino's, Upper Deck, DirecTV, and others. | 