George Pyne is Founder & CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, the global sports and entertainment company launched in 2015. Bruin is the latest chapter of his widely-respected career--architecting business transformation in a range of industries that manifest in billions of revenue shareholder value. Backed by the industry's top private equity companies and family investors, Bruin specializes in developing high-growth global, sports, and entertainment businesses.
Throughout his career, Pyne has demonstrated an uncanny ability to uncover potential that others may not, and then turn that potential into immense value. Bruin is the latest example, a venture created to identify the great ideas that would thrive amidst the tectonic shifts to the sports economy and, with the Bruin overlay, lead the industry forward. Today, Bruin's portfolio of leading-edge companies operates on five continents. It is relied upon by virtually every major sports league, governing body, rights holder, as well as billions of sports fans.
Bruin follows Pyne's stewardship of IMG, where, as President and Board Member for IMG Sports and Entertainment, he was responsible for record revenue and earnings growth across multiple commercial lines of business. That growth was the catalyst for the $2.4B price WME paid for the company in 2014. Before that, as COO and Board Member for NASCAR, he designed the commercialization plan that transformed the regional, niche sport into an elite U.S. sports league generating multibillions in commercial revenue.
He began his career working for his family's real estate business before moving to Atlanta, GA to lead a full analysis of the city's school budget and operations, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. That work led to sweeping reforms. He went on to work for Portman Companies, the eponymous commercial real estate and architectural firm founded by the iconic architect. At Portman, he organized the world's second-largest debt restructuring (at the time) and also launched his first business (sports marketing). NASCAR was a client and eventually recruited him to build the commercial side of the sport. He became only the second non-family member to join the Board of NASCAR.
He is on the Board of the National Football Foundation and the National Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of New York. He also served on the Board of 24-Hour Fitness. A Brown University graduate, Pyne was Captain, All-Ivy League, and All-New England honoree as an offensive lineman for the Bruins.