Sponsor
A person who authorizes the budget for service consumption. The sponsor is often the one who champions the project at the executive level.
Impact
No sponsor, no money. No money, no project.
Weinto take
The Sponsor's job is not just to sign the check; it is to Clear the Path. An effective executive sponsor removes political roadblocks and protects the team from organizational noise. If the sponsor is absent, the project will die a death of a thousand cuts.