Chris Welton—Chief Executive Officer
Chris is the Chief Executive Officer of Helios Partners and past President and founder of Meridian Management, the previous worldwide managing agency responsible for the IOC’s worldwide (TOP) sponsorship program. At Meridian, Chris’s team managed the sales, negotiation, servicing and support of the IOC sponsors, as well as the development of their Global Olympic strategic marketing plan.
Prior to forming Meridian on January 1, 1996, Mr. Welton was Vice President of Market Development for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. In that role, Chris was responsible for developing the corporate sponsorship and partnership that made significant investments in the 1996 Olympic Games. He was also responsible for the development and management of the support structure for those investors, including sponsor services and sponsor protection.
Prior to joining ACOG, Chris was an attorney with the Atlanta firm of King & Spalding specializing in real estate finance and development. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and a 1981 graduate of the University of Georgia with a major in finance. At UGA, Chris was an Academic All-SEC and Academic All-American defensive back on the 1980 National Championship Football Team. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Community Foundation and the Nature Conservancy of Georgia.