In his new position, Burton will direct the USOC’s Sales and Marketing Division, including the development and implementation of corporate sponsorship programs designed to deliver maximum return-on-investment to the USOC’s family of corporate partners.  Burton will also work closely with USOC Chief Operating Officer Norman Bellingham in creating the revenue streams necessary to support the USOC’s digital media initiatives.  He will also be a member of the USOC’s Chicago 2016 Integration Team.

“As we move forward with a series of new initiatives designed to expand the reach of the Olympic Movement in our country and deliver greater value to our Corporate Partners, having on our team an individual with the expertise and vision Rick possesses is critical, and we are proud to welcome him to the United States Olympic Committee,” said Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr.

“Rick is known internationally for his innovation and understanding of the opportunities, challenges and trends facing the sports industry, and that knowledge will be critical in shaping new marketing programs that fulfill the business objectives of our Corporate Partners,” added Bellingham.

As commissioner of the National Basketball League, Burton directed an expansion of the league to include 13 teams in three countries (Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). He also led the successful negotiation of a five-year television rights agreement with Fox Sports, through which the NBL doubled its annual revenue from television rights fees, and increased overall league revenue from non-licensee sources by 140 percent.

Prior to his tenure with the National Basketball League, Burton was the executive director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center in the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, which was named by Sports Illustrated as the best sports management school in the country in 2002.

While in Oregon, Burton headed up the Burton Marketing Group. He consulted or worked on behalf ofglobal brands and sports properties including the National Football League, National Hockey League, USA Track & Field, Nike, Visa and IMG.

“I am tremendously excited about this opportunity and have been inspired by (USOC Chairman) Peter Ueberroth’s vision for the entire organization,” Burton said.  “Jim Scherr and Norman Bellingham, as former Olympians, fully understand the USOC’s mission to serve our athletes and partners. I am excited to join a team that is committed to excellence, not only in preparing for Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010, but also in partnering with Chicago in the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.”

Burtonis a frequent contributor to leading industry publications such as Sports Business Journal and SportBusiness International, and has been a contributor to the New York Times. His academic research on sports business and sports marketing has been published in several scholarly journals, including Sport Marketing Quarterly, Marketing Management and The International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship.

In addition, Burton, age 49, has been involved for the last five years as the principal moderator at SportAccord, the largest annual conference in the sports industry which brings together leaders from the International Olympic Committee, the International Federations, games organizing committees, broadcast rightsholders and corporate partners for a forum on opportunities and issues facing the sports industry.

Burtonstarted his career in the Syracuse University Athletic Department before becoming a sports reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard from 1978-1980. He joined the Miller Brewing Company in 1980, first in public relations and later brand management, advertising and marketing. After 12 years at Miller, Burton was named vice president at Clarion Performance Properties, a sports and entertainment marketing agency in Greenwich, Conn. His clients at Clarion included National Football League Properties (NFLP), Reebok, Sprint, Gillette and Universal Studios.