Rob DiGisi, Founder and President

Rob is a veteran sports, entertainment and travel/hospitality executive who has created new profit centers, distribution channels and brand development platforms for organizations including start-ups, pro-sports leagues and multi-billion dollar corporations.

From 2002-08 and since 2018, Rob has packaged this expertise into the consulting firm, Iron Horse Marketing. His pedigree includes senior marketing, operations and business development roles for IMG, the National Basketball Association, Bank One, Diamond Resorts International and as an entrepreneur. In addition to Iron Horse, Rob is a lecturer at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania where he teaches both undergraduate and MBA-level sports management classes and oversees student sports business consulting projects. He also has a regular sports business column on MediaVillage.com entitled, “Sports Unbundled.” 

The common thread throughout his career is driving innovation in sports and partnership marketing. For example, at the dawn of the digital age, Rob founded and built the NBA’s first online store and its direct-to-consumer marketing platforms. Rob was VP, Strategic Brand Development for upstart Dale and Thomas Popcorn, where he created partnerships and promotions with Universal Pictures, AEG, Miller Beer, Netflix and many others. In recent years, as the head of national marketing for Diamond Resorts, he was the founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Diamond Resorts Invitational, a nationally televised PGA TOUR event and experiential marketing platform for this global travel and hospitality company. 

Select Iron Horse engagements include:

  • Leading Copart’s expansion into the consumer sector through partnerships with NASCAR, the NHRA and associated media outlets.

  • Partnering with an NFL All-Pro, Carl Banks, to launch Famous 58, a line of BBQ/Tailgate party foods.

  • Leveraging Autotote’s technology infrastructure at horse racing tracks to create a multi-media advertising solution

Rob is a summa cum laude graduate from Boston College and earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A father of two, he and his wife live in Northern New Jersey.