Richard
Gao
Building commercial partnerships at the intersection of sport, premium hospitality, and global brand strategy — from Shanghai to NYC.
Where strategy meets sport, and ambition meets execution.
I grew up in Shanghai — and that global perspective became my edge. While most people in sports business see one market, I see twenty-three. Navigating cultures, languages, and commercial landscapes across continents isn't something I learned in a classroom. It's how I grew up.
At NYU's Tisch Institute for Global Sport, I built the analytical foundation. At PwC, I sharpened it — running commercial diligence, constructing bottom-up market models, and turning complex datasets into insights that moved decisions. Then I brought all of it to Formula 1, where I manage Paddock Club sales across the most premium hospitality platform in global sport.
What separates me is range. I can build a financial model in the morning and close a six-figure hospitality deal by afternoon. I dissect sponsorship architecture the way engineers dissect aerodynamics — with precision, context, and an obsession with what actually drives performance.
Where I've built, learned, and contributed.
Partnership & Business Development
Formula 1
Operating across Formula 1's global hospitality business, I manage relationships with Fortune 500 executives and ultra-high-net-worth clients on a daily basis — navigating complex, high-stakes conversations around premium partnerships and Paddock Club experiences. From building pipeline to closing deals across a 24-race international calendar, I sit at the table where corporate strategy meets the world's fastest sport.
BS in Sports Business
New York University
Studying at NYU's Tisch Institute for Global Sport, building expertise at the nexus of financial strategy and sports management. Dean's Scholar.
Thinking out loud about the business of sport.
Interested in working together or just talking sport?
Whether it's a partnership opportunity, a shared interest in sports business, or a conversation about what's next — I'd love to hear from you.