TMRW Sports Group
When Robin Eletto joined Fanatics as its chief people officer in 2016, it was a growing e-commerce company with 1,500 employees. By the time she left nearly seven years later, Fanatics had exploded, taking interests in sports betting, collectibles, NFTs, events and retail, with staffing in excess of 10,000 people — “a rocket ship to beyond,” she called it.
Eletto had a hand in overseeing much of that growth while also fostering a company culture that earned awards from Comparably and Newsweek. “We were able to make culture and people a priority along with the business,” she said. “I created this concept called IDEA, which stood for inclusion, diversity, equality and advocacy so that there was a role for everybody across the company to play. And it wasn’t just a recruiting effort — it was really figuring out a path to engage the workforce and create more awareness and create educational opportunities.”
In December 2022, Eletto retired from a 30-year career with stops at companies such as current Verizon subsidiaries AOL, Netscape and NYNEX — which included a five-year stint leading business operations for an installation in Thailand — as well as Disney Consumer Products, Paramount Pictures and mobile marketing company Millennial Media.
Eletto’s retirement lasted only about two months, though. TMRW Sports Group CEO Mike McCarley called and offered her the post as CPO during its ramp-up to the launch of the Tiger Woods- and Rory McIlroy-backed TGL golf league. Her remit at TMRW recently expanded to include oversight of venue construction as well. She described it as “a heavy lift by many people” but too enticing of a project to pass up.
“I decided to unretire and come do this for a year or two because it was an incredible opportunity to build a media company and build a sports league from the ground up,” she said. — Joe Lemire
Robin Eletto
Chief People Officer, TMRW Sports Group
Born: Yonkers, New York
Education: University of Phoenix, B.S, business administration; Michigan State, M.S., management, strategy and leadership
Family: Children, Lauren and Bobby
More about Robin
Advice to my younger self: Never doubt your potential; working hard does pay off; trust your instincts; take the high road — you’ll never regret it; be courageous; let go of things you cannot control; change is inevitable — embrace it; always stay humble and kind.
I wish more people understood that … : I come across as being fearless and courageous but some days, this can be hard. Value alignment (my own and an organization’s) must align. I have zero tolerance for toxic workplace behaviors.
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: Serena Williams. She is a trailblazer, a trendsetter, an inspirational woman who revolutionized her sport and the businesses she invests in.
