February 2 - Michael Lynch (pictured), the Visa head of global sponsorship marketing, has resigned following a successful 16-year career with the American multinational financial services corporation.
Lynch joined Visa in 1995, after serving as vice-president of events for Radio City Music Hall Productions in New York City.
During his time in the role, Lynch led Visa's global sponsorship management strategy and execution.
This included managing global programmes in support of the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and the National Football League.
He is set to step down from the role at the end of next month but at present, no replacement has been named.
"We appreciate Michael's contributions and commitment to helping Visa build a comprehensive and unmatched sponsorship portfolio," said Kevin Burke, Visa's head of global marketing strategy and marketing Americas.
"We are fortunate to have an experienced sponsorship management team that will continue to manage and extend our portfolio to the benefit of our brand, clients and partners."
During Lynch's tenure, Visa was recognised by Event Marketer magazine as the only financial services company among 'The 25 Best Sponsors in America' as well as 'The Most Well-rounded Sponsor Around'.
Lynch has also been named as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports by The Sporting News and is widely considered to be one of the most influential voices in the sports sponsorship industry.
He also serves on the board of directors for Athletes for Hope and the advisory board of the World Congress of Sports.
He has a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in Marketing from Cornell University.
He lives in California with his wife Susan and their two daughters.
By Tom Degun
Source: www.insidethegames.biz