Robert Maes, Founder & CEO
With more than 30 years experience at the top of sports marketing and management in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Robert Maes is a leading global sponsorship specialist. In the 1990’s Robert was Director of International Sales for IMG in Japan, working with leading sports properties in football, F1, cycling, tennis and golf, as well as brands such as Disney, Mazda, Tag Heuer and Stella Artois.
Robert was instrumental in delivering a successful 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan for sponsors, prefectures and stadiums. He then went on to manage the Bahrain international racing circuit for the inaugural F1 race there in 2004, before returning to Japan to develop Engarde Asia into one of Japan’s leading sports marketing agencies today.
Robert is married to Mandy and has a degrees in communications, marketing and journalism.
Mike Hall-Taylor, Director Australasia
With more than 25 years experience at the top of sports marketing and management in Europe and now Australasia, Mike Hall-Taylor is a leading global sponsorship specialist. Mike’s introduction to sports marketing came in the mid to late 90s when he managed the Benson & Hedges brand, the UK’s largest sports sponsor at that time – overseeing sponsorships in golf, Formula One, cricket, snooker and others. Head hunted by Eddie Jordan to head up marketing for Jordan’s Formula One team in 1999, Mike was responsible for a USD $120 million annual budget and instrumental in developing ‘Brand Jordan’ which included a range of clothing, energy drinks and other services. Following the sale of the Formula One team in 2005, Mike founded his own sports marketing agency in the UK, working with some of the UK's largest sports properties and brands, including Manchester United. In 2009 he extended the agency in New Zealand, working with clients such as New Zealand Rugby (All Blacks), Emirates Team NZ, the Edmund Hillary family, and many of the national sporting organisations. Mike is married with 3 children, lives primarily in New Zealand, has an MBA from one of Europe’s leading business schools Mike Hall (Ashridge), and a BA (Hons) from Nottingham University in the UK.
Oliver Takahashi, Director Japan
Oliver Takahashi is a sports management specialist with over 20 years experience. He was Reebok Japan marketing executive in the late 1990’s, before moving into football and worked with FIFA on the 2002 World Cup. The led to him becoming an Account Director for FIFA at their Swiss HQ until 2010, when he returned to Japan to run Nike marketing for Japan until 2017. In his most recent role he was Coca Cola Japan Olympic Director for the 2022 Tokyo Olympics. Oliver lives with his family in Tokyo.
Hendrik Redant, Sporting Director
Hendrik Redant has over 30 years experience at the top of international cycling. From 1987 -1997 Hendrik was professional rider, cycling for teams that included Lotto, ZG Mobili and TVM. Following an injury Hendrik moved into the role of Sporting Director for TVM, a role he has enjoyed ever since with the teams United Healthcare, Dimension Data and most recently Human Powered Health. Hendrik is also an accomplished commentator – there isn’t anything that he doesn’t know about the sport. Hendrik will soon be taking on the role of Sporting Director for Engarde’s own cycling team. Hendrik lives primarily in Europe, but is always found on the road.
Nathan Crockett
An entrepreneur and business owner (see 7Crocketts.com), Dr. Nathan Crockett has increasingly worked in the sports world. As President of Rupel Boom Football club in Belgium, Nathan has acquired experience in the football (soccer) world. Living in Greenville, SC in the United States, Nathan has friends in the running and biking communities. Nathan is married to Abigail Crockett, and they have five children together. All five of Nathan’s children are actively involved in sports.