Sheila S. Hula
President
“Aways looking for the next big challenge” – has been Sheila Scott Hula’s professional philosophy for the last 25+ years.
Hula Sport Communications is the latest iteration of a career that has spanned every major communications platform.
Hula is best known as the publisher of Around the Rings, the world’s most respected source of Olympic news, until its sale in May 2021. Before that she was the award-winning executive producer of CNN TravelGuide.
For more than 25 years, Hula and her husband Ed were familiar faces among the international press corps covering the Olympics, World Cup, and too many other championships to count. Whatever the event, she could often be found with a camera, recording many of world sport’s most famous personalities and important moments.
Hula joined her husband and his fledgling newsletter in May 1997, where she remained until January 2022. During that time she oversaw operations for thirteen Winter and Summer Olympics, dozens of world championships and World Cups, and two dozen or so bids. Hula also produced dozens of print and online special edition publications that helped set the standards that made Around the Rings the influential publication that it is today.
Prior to taking the reins at ATR, Hula was the executive producer of CNN TravelGuide, one of the network’s most popular and profitable programs. She started at CNN as a researcher hired for one week of vacation relief. That week turned into 16 years and a career that spanned the globe.
Hula is a native of Helena, Montana, and still identifies as Montanan through and through. She is the author of The Queen of Montana, an illustrated serial novel set for releas late 2022 or early 2023.
Ed Hula
Vice-President
Ed Hula is one of the world’s leading experts on the Olympic Games. Since 1988 he has reported for radio, TV and newspapers from every corner of the globe.
Most notably, Hula is the founder of Around the Rings, the online publication recognized worldwide as an essential source of news about the Olympics. He is now a columnist and consultant to Around the Rings following the 2021 acquisition of the company by Infobae.
Ed Hula has followed the many changes that have come to the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Games in the first quarter of the 21st century. He is in constant contact with key figures involved with the Olympics and international sport.
Hula brings his expertise to the team at Hula Sport Communication to produce the custom-tailored content and consulting that is the specialty of this boutique agency.
Brian Baker
Communications Architect
Brian Baker has worked in world sport and the Olympic Movement for more than 25 years. That stretch includes ten Olympic Games, dozens of world championships, and countless other related events.
With the sports calendar getting back to normal, I am primed and ready to help you achieve your goals for Paris 2024 and Milan Cortina 2026 — and beyond!
Over the years I have built personal relationships with influencers among federations, organizing committees, host and bid cities, agencies, event organizers, sponsors, and media.
In fact, my “Golden Rolodex” consists of 20,000+ brand leaders, agency executives, bid cities, CVBs, sports councils and tourism boards. Let me put them to work for your brand!
These relationships go back to the mid-90s when my career began at the USOC with sponsorship sales for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, followed by years as a sponsorship executive for Nagano, Sydney, Salt Lake.
Through my consulting firm, True North Management Group, I have worked with Olympic media leader Around the Rings (London, Sochi, Rio, PyeongChang, Tokyo, Beijing) since 2012.
I have blueprinted and executed successful communication platforms for clients seeking awareness and recognition in the world sport and Olympic environments.
Highlights of that work on behalf of ATR:
* Communication strategies for the 2015 Baku European Games and 2016 Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games
* Recertification campaign for World Baseball Softball Confederation and United World Wrestling.
* 2020 Olympic Games host city bid campaigns for Tokyo, Madrid, and Istanbul.
* Olympic recognition campaign for International Teqball Federation (FITEQ).
Other clients have included USA Softball, USA Karate, USA Kickboxing, USA Weightlifting, USA Diving, International Cheer Union, USA Bocce and World Parkour. In addition to communications blueprinting, I have sold $70+ mil. in sponsorships/media and managed $800+ mil. in sponsor accounts throughout my career.
Kathy Kuczka
Special Events Director
Kathy Kuczka has been the Special Events Director for Hula Sport Communications (formerly Around the Rings) since Sydney 2000.
An award-winning journalist, she spent years covering breaking news and features for CNN. She was a writer/producer for CNN TravelGuide, a weekly program at the network.
Kathy is well-known around the Olympic Movement, thanks to her insider role with ATR and her experience at Olympic Games in Seoul, Sydney, Atlanta and London. During that time, she helped plan and execute ATR events worldwide, from breakfast sessions to evening cocktails.
Her latest collaboration with Sheila and Ed Hula looks ahead to preparations for Paris 2024 and Milan-Cortina 2026.
Kathy’s dual citizenship and fluency in Italian ensure she can offer a wide range of services to any organization hoping to capitalize on the next two Games in Europe.
Her lifelong passion for travel has driven her to the far corners of the globe, from taking a dip in the waters off Cheju Island, Korea, to hiking the Blue Mountains of Sydney, Australia, to skiing the French Alps of Courchevel, France. Travel has been instrumental in forming her perceptions about other people and other cultures.
Her work has appeared on radio, on television, in print, and online. Her book, As Mama Used to Say: Life Lessons Learned from a Mother’s Mottoes enjoyed the favor of critics around the globe.
An actress, singer and cellist, Kathy has performed in various venues across Atlanta and plays the cello in the Alpharetta Symphony Orchestra.
Brian Pinelli
European Correspondent
Brian Pinelli is a veteran Olympic, international and winter sports journalist having covered nine Olympic Games, numerous world championships, and many events, conferences, and congresses within the Olympic movement.
He currently resides in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, already covering and looking down the road to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Brian maintains vast and close relationships throughout the Olympic world, particularly with the IOC, IF’s, NOC’s, and among athletes and various national sport federations. He has contributed to the New York Times, Around the Rings, Olympic Review, Athlete365, Ski Racing Media, SKI, the International Ski Federation, CNN World Sport, CBS Sports, NBC Olympics and other international media.
Bradley Smith
Correspondent
From an early age Bradley Smith had a passion for sports and covering the world’s biggest events.
After receiving his Masters degree in Journalism from the University of Memphis, Bradley pointed his car east to Atlanta where he’s called home for the past 25 years.
Starting as an unpaid intern with CNN/Sports Illustrated, Bradley rose through the ranks at CNN to become an award-winning producer, writer and editor, overseeing and coordinating production teams from countless Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, Super Bowls, Wimbledon, The Masters and much more.
After leaving CNN, Bradley continued to write for several publications including Southern Living, USGolfTV and others before becoming Managing Editor at Around the Rings. This opportunity allowed him to reconnect with Ed and Sheila, as well as make many new connections within the Olympic Movement.
Bradley brings a wealth of experience, passion and knowledge to Hula Sport Communications.
Jim Reindel
Correspondent
Jim’s professional experience started in 1992 as an interpreter with NBC during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He has continued his Olympic coverages as a senior writer for Around the Rings.
Jim was integral in Latin America’s largest cable rollout while with CNN en Español. As an editor and field producer he is a recipient of both an international Peabody and DuPont-Columbia award for his work covering 3 World Cups, six Olympics and numerous Super-bowl and MLB World Series.
Jim launched a landmark news daily with Turner Sports for NASCAR-dot-com growing the brand in reaching 100 million unique views per month.
Jim led the broadcast production of the NBA for Turner Latin America – broadcasting the NBA in Brazil and throughout Latin America.
Jim also launched The Atlanta Hawks en Español as Editor and Chief
Christine Brown
Correspondent
Christine is a former Division I athlete at Duquesne University.
She was a two sport athlete in both the Track and Field and Soccer.
Christine has continued to ‘stay in the game’ in athletics with her work as a coach and academic advisor.
She also covers sports as a freelance columnist for FuboTV and Around the Rings – an Olympic sports platform.