Name: Vicky Picca
Title: Fanatics Senior VP/Business Affairs
Age: 45
Where I’m from: New Orleans
Where I call home: Armonk, New York
Focusing on right now: Strengthening partner relationships.
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Picca says the best advice she's received is to learn
how to take yes for an answer |
Best advice: From NBA President of Global Operations & Merchandising SAL LAROCCA: Learn how to take yes for an answer. I have found over the course of my career that people are so focused on winning the battles that they sometimes miss that they've won the war. And frequently, they don't know how to extend their hands, make a deal and walk out of the room. They don't realize they've actually gotten a yes and keep talking.
A must for a new hire: Common sense, good judgement, passion and a good work ethic. I find it kind of amazing how hard it is to find the first two these days sometimes.
Exec I admire most: Facebook COO SHERYL SANDBERG. I think she's brilliant, has incredible gravitas and is not afraid to take risks. What appeals to me most is that, in a world of aspirational people, she seems like an incredibly grounded executive, and seems like a nice person.
Best book I’ve read this year: "The Submission," by AMY WALDMAN. It's a fictional account of the process of taking submissions for a 9/11 memorial and the ramifications when the winner turns out to be a Muslim architect. It was incredible.
First thing in the morning: Jogging with my headphones on, listening to the news from yesterday and sports from last night.
Talking tech: A dirty little secret I have is theSkimm -- it's current events in the last 24 hours written in a very casual and accessible way.
Must have music: On my iPod, you'll find everything from BEYONCE to BRAD PAISLEY, to classic rock to people like CLARENCE “FROGMAN” HENRY.
Food for thought: I don't really have a favorite restaurant because I always want to go try somewhere new. Or cook at home -- I think it’s my creative outlet.
How I unwind: I spend a whole lot of time around fields, arenas and diamonds because I have three kids currently navigating seven different teams. So I unwind by watching my kids do something they love, which is any combination of football, baseball, softball and basketball.
Day in the life: This position has definitely been a change from my licensing role with the NBA. To go from having all the leverage at the league, and go to all of a sudden being on the other side of things and needing to make the case for why you're the best in the business, Luckily for me, that case is pretty easy to make. Fanatics has a very strong history in football and the college space, and another part of its life is the relationship with the leagues, which is somewhat of a newer part of our business. So I'm here to bring the league point-of-view into our conversations and discussions and negotiations that we have with those leagues.
