Sunderland hire Scottish Rugby data specialist James Mullins as Head of Business Insights | OneFootball

Sunderland have appointed James Mullins as Head of Business Insights, bolstering their off-field operation. The experienced data specialist joins from Scottish Rugby.

According to Sunderland Echo, Mullins spent more than five years with the governing body, most recently as Head of Digital and Data.

He previously served as Head of Data and Insights and as Data Science Manager, developing expertise in performance analytics, reporting and strategic decision-making.

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

Mullins expressed delight at joining Sunderland, called the opportunity a privilege and looked forward to working with David Bruce, Brandon Furse and Scott McCubbin.

The appointment underlines Sunderland’s push for data-led decision-making across football and commercial operations, with investment in infrastructure and staff to support long-term growth.

Source: Sunderland Echo