ESPN recently named Rob Simmelkjaer '93 as its new Vice President of International Development, after he served the network for two years as the vice president of corporate projects.
In his previous position, Simmelkjaer worked in international affairs, focusing on putting together a bid for ESPN to broadcast the next Olympic Games.
"The Olympics now is just a small part of what I'm going to be doing," he said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Although his previous work included some on-air duties for the network, Simmelkjaer said he is primarily interested in the management of ESPN, but plans to continue doing on-air commentary.
"Ultimately I want to be involved in running the business here," he said.
Simmelkjaer said his role in ESPN International will be expanded because of the scope of his new position. Simmelkjaer added that he is committed to positioning ESPN more prominently in its current markets abroad.
"Largely what I'm going to be doing is growing ESPN's business around the world," he said.
Simmelkjaer's previous work internationally and his knowledge of the sports world were major motivators in granting him the new position, his boss Russell Wolff '89 Tu '94 told Sports Business.
"[His] range of experience and insight to the multiple facets of our business will prove valuable as he helps us continue to grow around the world by identifying, evaluating and enhancing opportunities for ESPN International," Wolff said.
A big baseball fan, Simmelkjaer said his time at ESPN introduced him to new sports in an international context. He was required to familiarize himself with sports that are much more popular oversees, such as cricket and rugby, because of new markers for ESPN. Following ESPN's coverage of the World Cup, his interest in soccer has also peaked.
"Now I find myself watching English Premiere league soccer games and trying to learn the names and the players," Simmelkjaer said.
Simmelkjaer was first professionally introduced to sports broadcasting when he took an internship with Len Deluca at CBS sports the summer after his junior year of college.
Following his graduation from Dartmouth, Simmelkjaer attended Harvard Law School and worked for two firms starting in 1997.
Before moving to ESPN, Simmelkjaer spent two years at ABC News doing on-air work. After time in both law and news reporting, Simmelkjaer found himself drawn back to the world of sports when Deluca transferred to ESPN and offered him a job. Simmelkjaer said his first main contributions to ESPN were as a commentator and play-by-play announcer for the ESPN family of networks.
Simmelkjaer said he first became interested in sports as a Dartmouth undergraduate doing sports commentary for teams on campus.
In addition to his internship with CBS Sports, Simmelkjaer wrote for the sports section of The Dartmouth and worked in sports radio as an announcer on WDCR, where he broadcasted play-by-play commentary.
"The experience doing radio and writing for The D is what got me hooked into the media," Simmelkjaer said.
Dartmouth alums have had a substantial impact on his career at ESPN, Simmelkjaer said. In addition to Wolff, he has worked with several alums including former NFL player Reggie Williams '76. Simmelkjaer said he still follows Big Green athletics, as well.
