Archie Paton is a figure that oozes experience. He’s a man who’s been around the world of sport, fostering a unique CV that spans the likes of Manchester City to the ATP World Tour, all the way around the world to projects with the West Indies cricket team. With over two decades spent at some of the most innovative and prestigious global sporting organisations, there’s not too much around the subject of marketing and management that he hasn’t seen.
That said, Paton’s reason in returning to the Scottish capital as a non-executive director at Hibernian isn’t to rest on his laurels. Rather, the local-ish lad took on the role at the behest of new owner Ron Gordon, to whom he offered guidance throughout the process of purchasing the club and, with a keen sense of being a part of the innovative work currently going on at the club.
Connecting through a mutual friend, Paton was a name put forth to Gordon as somebody well versed in the minutiae of due diligence around football clubs. In-keeping with his reputation as a scrupulous source of this speciality, Paton laughs when recalling that it wasn’t just the club he poured over, “I did my due diligence on Ron, as you do when you’re speaking to somebody about a football club.”
Paton was interested in Gordon’s motivations for buying a football club, particularly considering the geographical distance the Peruvian-born American national had from Scotland, alongside his own vested interest in such a deal taking place in his homeland. For Paton, the opportunity seemed obvious.
Football is unlike any other business in the world. Infused with a primal passion, football fans are much more than mindless consumers but are engaged stakeholders with a keen interest in everything their club does. Paton understands the psychology behind the average fan, taking this into consideration when facilitating the takeover, “When you’re dealing with fans of any club, two things they don’t always have is trust and patience, so we need to make sure that we try and address those upfront.”
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How can this be done? “Show the long-term intent.” Paton was unequivocal in assessing the best and most direct course of action for the move, adding “I think we succeeded in that.” Perhaps due to the standard of his work in the transaction, Paton wasn’t so much asked to be a member of the board as he was directed by the new owner. There were personal reasons for Paton too, “You’ve got a vested interest to follow it through, especially when it’s in Scotland on your doorstep, you want to ensure that it’s done right. Especially when some of your best friends are lifelong Hibs fans.”
Graduating from the University of Stirling in 1993 with a degree in marketing and economics, Paton was a logical choice to draft in. Besides the soft-spot he has for the club, he’s been a pioneering figure in the industry for some time, through his development of sports software and business systems. A ‘tech guy’, his experience across sports encompasses a vast array of disciplines – from brand strategy to marketing and merchandise - that all coalesce into the shape of contemporary sporting organisations.
A part of the team behind the rebrand of golf’s oldest tournament, The Open, in 2015, Paton helped to develop the strategy behind the makeover. That’s part of what he’s bringing to the club. Clear and actionable branding and identity goals – from the short to mid- and longer term. His intentions aren’t to meddle in football affairs, Paton is clear, but in looking at the bottom line, about contributing to a sustainable business model for the capital city club.
On his role at the club, Paton’s priorities are with all shareholders as he oversees the responsible handling of finances within the Hibernian ecosystem and, more broadly speaking, “The role of a non-executive director is, fundamentally, governance of the club.” Carrying the title brings the responsibility of acting independently of the executive board with the institution’s best interests in mind, ensuring that best practice is adhered to.
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