Melynda Pilon / National Hockey League
Events have played a massive role in the NHL’s growth into a nearly $6 billion business under Commissioner Gary Bettman. Since the debut of the Winter Classic in 2008, the hockey league has put on 36 outdoor spectaculars, along with increasingly extravagant tentpole events such as all-star games, drafts and award shows.
Few have played a more important role in the execution of these complex affairs than Regina Sullivan, the finance lead for the league’s events group. From the initial site visit to game day, Sullivan is present every step of the way.
Sullivan said the key to her success is taking a collaborative approach to her work with both the events staff and external stakeholders such as teams, venues and municipalities. That approach has made her plenty of friends throughout the sports industry.
“In my 20-plus years working in the sports industry, Regina is one of my favorite people to have worked with,” said Boston Red Sox CFO Tim Zue, whose club hosted the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park. “Not only does Regina clearly understand what it takes to plan and execute successful events on the largest stages, but she is a true pleasure to work with and always communicates with such a positive attitude.”
For Sullivan, who now also oversees finance for the league’s business development unit, the pride of putting on a successful event hasn’t diminished a bit over her 16 years at the NHL.
“Every single event, I still get that same feeling on game day,” Sullivan said. “That’s a pretty amazing feeling to still have after this many years doing it.” — Alex Silverman
Regina Sullivan
Group Vice President, Finance and Business Operations — Events, National Hockey League
Born: Brooklyn
Education: Siena College, B.S., finance
More about Regina
Something that instantly makes my day better: When I have a seamless NYC subway commute, it allows me to use the hour to set the day’s priorities, so I can hit the ground running when I arrive at the office.
If I did not work in sports … : I would work in education, a high school teacher.
I wish more people understood that … : I may not always come across this way, but I am an introvert.
Biggest career risk: I took on the business operations role of the events department several years ago, which required me to split my role. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and required me to transition from making recommendations to making decisions. This included participating in the discussions on the locations we choose for tentpole events, negotiating venue and NHL club deals, reviewing hundreds of contracts as they are executed over each events season, and providing input on where and how we should spend versus just tracking what we are spending. This unique role has stretched me both personally and professionally and has been an excellent learning and growth experience.
