Miami Marlins
On paper, Caroline O’Connor’s list of responsibilities has remained similar.
As Marlins president of business operations, she oversees all of the club’s business departments, just as she did before she was promoted from COO in November. She’s tasked with raising the profile of the club’s brand and driving attendance at loanDepot Park. Her platform and status in the community, however, have seen a dramatic uptick.
O’Connor has approached the shift with humility.
“I absolutely love what I do,” she said. “I just am so fortunate to have the role and the opportunity to have the impact that I have today.”
O’Connor has been with the Marlins for six years and was recently appointed to MLB’s international committee after a successful World Baseball Classic concluded at loanDepot Park. She is one of two women leading business operations across MLB’s 30 clubs, the other being Seattle’s Catie Griggs (Game Changers Class of 2017). O’Connor is a trailblazer, something she doesn’t take lightly.
“I take every chance I can to accept a LinkedIn request or if somebody I bump into wants to talk about their career aspirations or about how they can position themselves for a role like mine,” she said. “That’s important to me.”
With O’Connor leading their business, the Marlins are experiencing noteworthy gains. Attendance has seen a double-digit percentage-point increase for the second straight season. O’Connor also was the catalyst in securing the club’s jersey patch sponsorship with security company ADT, a three-year pact that nets the club $5 million annually. O’Connor said it was the marriage between two community pillars; ADT is based in Boca Raton.
“We want to be embedded in our community and involved in every aspect of it,” she said. — Erik Bacharach
Caroline O’Connor
President of Business Operations, Miami Marlins
Born: Fort Liberty, N.C.
Education: Rutgers University, B.A., computer information systems; NYU Stern School of Business, MBA, finance
Family: Spouse, Derek Borgert; children, Jonathan (12) and James (9)
More about Caroline
Something that instantly makes my day better: Seeing a child smiling while watching their favorite player.
Advice to my younger self: Stay focused on the big picture.
If I did not work in sports … : I would love to be a kindergarten teacher.
I wish more people understood that … : When you love what you do, it’s really not work!
Biggest career risk: Switching from the finance industry to the sports industry.
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: Abe Madkour! SBJ was one of the most important resources in my transition to the sports industry.
I wish I’d known at my career’s start: The importance of networking and learning from the experiences of others.
