INDIANAPOLIS — Learfield Licensing Partners, a trademark management company specializing in collegiate licensing and branding, announces that they have hired Matt Dyste as director of strategic initiatives. In this role, Dyste will work with both internal and external teams to execute major programs and provide leadership to many of Learfield Licensing’s educational events.

Prior to joining Learfield Licensing, Dyste spent 20 years at the University of Oregon, most recently as director of brand management. During his career at Oregon, he developed programs to increase awareness of and generate revenue from the sale UO licensed products, all while protecting Oregon’s brand reputation. He has also been very active in the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA), serving as a board member as well as president of the association in 2004-05. Dyste was inducted into the ICLA Hall of Fame in 2014.

“Matt brings a wealth of experience, insight and creativity to this newly-created role,” said Eric Johnson, COO of Learfield Licensing Partners. “His experience leading the highly-successful Oregon licensing program will be invaluable in helping us to expand some of our most important initiatives, and we’re excited to welcome him to our team.”

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“I am thrilled to join the great team at Learfield Licensing,” said Dyste. “The opportunity to build on my licensing work with Learfield Licensing and their partners is the perfect fit for me and I could not be more excited.”

Learfield acquired both SMA and LRG in 2014. These two industry-leading agencies now combine their more than 40 years of experience to create Learfield Licensing Partners, a world-class licensing firm that integrates each company’s services and success to align perfectly with Learfield’s history, strength and reputation within the industry. Our goal is to provide the best practices and strategies in the industry to properly protect and promote your brand, and couple that with new resources and strategies for growth with help from Learfield, which has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape. The company manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the Learfield Directors’ Cup. For more than four decades, Learfield has connected brands to the excitement, passion, tradition, fun and fans of college sports and now leverages multiple platforms and partnerships through distinct offerings through its affiliated companies.