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Horowitz and his company invest in soccer in
England, Spain and Italy
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Name: Steve Horowitz
Position: Inner Circle Sports Partner
Age: 53
Where I’m from: L.A.
Where I call home: N.Y.
Focusing on right now: Investing in soccer in England, Spain and Italy, as well as operating companies in the sports space.
Best advice: Don’t just outwork everyone else -- that should be a given. Take the time to think through a situation and figure out if it’s the best way to get the job done. Just because it’s always been done a particular way doesn’t mean there isn’t room for innovation. Finally, take chances and fail once in a while, just not on the boss’ pet project. We can learn immense lessons from our mistakes.
A must for a new hire: The qualities I value most are initiative, work ethic and creativity, as well as someone who can do amazing things and excel.
Exec I admire most: My father, [MGM President] NORMAN HOROWITZ. He led by example as a parent and business leader to show me how important honesty, integrity and relationships are to a full life. He also showed me that there is no replacing hard work and taking risks. Most importantly, he taught me never to take myself too seriously.
First thing in the morning: We do a fair amount of business with groups from overseas, so the beginning of the day has me reading email, texts and WhatsApp, with an occasional Facebook message from a friend or business associate. At 6:00am when I wake up, it’s the end of the business day in Asia, and it’s almost time for lunch in Europe. A lot can happen overnight.
Talking tech: I listen to a lot of podcasts when I’m traveling overseas as a way of staying connected to U.S. things, like my favorite show, “PTI,” or “MEN IN BLAZERS” to keep up with international soccer. I also use bike-share programs for getting around various cities around the world. I have a card in Milan where I just have to swipe it.
Must have music: JIMMY BUFFETT. I fell in love 25 years ago, and I’m still having fun. If I miss a summer concert with my pals, it’s just not the same.
Food for thought: I’ll happily eat just about anything, but I certainly enjoy a good burrito as much as anyone. This year, the Inner Circle Sports holiday party was at my favorite Korean barbeque place. When I travel I really enjoy going to local spots. My family’s favorite neighborhood spots are Lilli & Loos and Ginza.
How I unwind: I like to stay active. In addition to coaching my daughter’s soccer team, I try to get out on my road bike heading over the George Washington Bridge as often as possible. I still play basketball on Wednesday nights. I also spend quite a bit of time on several important causes: the March of Dimes Annual Sports Luncheon, the Business of Sports School (BOSS) and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
Day in the life: At Inner Circle, my partner ROB TILLISS and I spend the bulk of our time representing people in buying and selling sports teams. The most important factors in determining the value of a sports property are market size/location, stadium/arena situation, media and how competitive the process is. There’s a limited supply of sports teams and high demand in the United States. In football (soccer) in Europe, there is much greater inventory, but relegation is always looming. We also work with sports-related operating companies. We’re spending a lot of time with data analytics and agencies, as well as in the content business, gaming and e-sports.
