JIM IATROPOULOUS A rapidly evolving space tends to favor an adaptive personality, so the world of digital marketing is a fitting place to find someone like Shannon Dan.
“I love new challenges,” Dan said. “That’s how you learn. To be uncomfortable, and to almost have a little bit of fear of what’s coming, is healthy.”
It’s not hard to see how a mix of drive and curiosity has served Dan well at Chicago-based Intersport, where she led the launch of a digital marketing unit before getting the firm’s social media division off the ground, as well. “I saw a lot of opportunity in the future of digital,” she said. Likewise, with social: “I dove in and rolled my sleeves up, figured it out, and built it into a solid revenue stream for the company,” she said.
The ability to adapt has served Dan well even prior to joining Intersport in 2006. She previously worked at the NBA as a communications executive. While in school at St. Bonaventure, she was a Division I basketball player. But at Intersport, with what Dan calls its “entrepreneurial” culture, flexibility is of the essence.
“Every day is absolutely different, has different challenges,” she said. “There’s the opportunity to make your own path and to have a real impact on the vision of the organization.”
So while it may be a daunting task to predict where digital marketing is going and what kind of content Dan and Intersport will create next, it’s not difficult to envision that content engaging fans and providing value for brands. “Embrace the detours,” she said, paraphrasing Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good.
And given Dan’s track record to date, those detours may be the most direct path to success.
— Preston Bounds
Shannon Dan
Intersport | SVP, Digital Strategy
Age: 36
Where born: Chester, Pa.
Education: St. Bonaventure University (B.A., journalism and mass communication)
Family: Husband, Kevin; children, Madelyn (5), Maeve (2)
Advice I’d give to my younger self: Be more decisive. When you know, go!
2016 will be a good year if: My two little girls are happy and healthy.
Person in the industry I’d like to meet: Kevin Plank.
I’d like to change jobs for a day with: Anthony Bourdain. He travels the world, absorbs different cultures, and eats and drinks like a king.
Causes supported: Women’s leadership.
Most thrilling/adventurous thing I’ve done: Become a mom. Some days are thrilling; some days are certainly an adventure.
You’d be surprised to know: I have watched the original “Star Wars” trilogy more than 50 times.
