Sunderland appoint Scottish Rugby data specialist James Mullins to lead business insights | OneFootball

Sunderland have strengthened their off-field operation by appointing James Mullins as Head of Business Insights after more than five years with Scottish Rugby.

Mullins said in a post that he was delighted to join, calling it a privilege to be part of a club with history, ambition and an incredible fanbase. He said he looked forward to working with David Bruce, Brandon Furse and Scott McCubbin and to building on existing momentum.

At Scottish Rugby he most recently served as Head of Digital and Data, having previously been Head of Data and Insights and Data Science Manager. He built a strong reputation in performance analytics, reporting and strategic decision-making within elite sport.

His background also includes academia, with time as an associate lecturer at Northumbria University and a lecturer in sports performance analysis at the University of Gloucestershire. Earlier he worked as a performance analyst at Performance Advantage, consulting across elite sport, including with Durham CCC and Scottish Rugby Union.

The move underlines Sunderland’s increasing focus on data-led decision-making across football and commercial areas, alongside investment in infrastructure and people to support long-term growth.

Source: Sunderland Echo