Bob Maggiore, CMO, TaylorMade Golf Co.

After 13 years, a dozen roles and the opportunity to work with all three brands that make up TaylorMade Golf Co. (TaylorMade, Adidas Golf and Ashworth), Bob Maggiore is now chief marketing officer for the entire company. Maggiore’s dad introduced him to golf as a kid, and he said, “I’ve always wanted to work in the sports industry, and it became my passion to somehow get into it.” Maggiore spoke with staff writer Kristen Heimstead.

■ Age: 41
■ New title: Chief marketing officer, TaylorMade Golf Co.
■ Previous job: Head of TaylorMade’s marketing division
■ First job: I moved carts at Bartlett Hills Golf Course when I was about 13
■ Education: Bachelor of arts in business administration and marketing, University of San Diego (1991)
■ Resides: Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Leslie and children Bobby (7), Kate (6) and Jack (4)
■ Grew up: Bartlett, Ill., a little town just outside of Chicago
■ Executive most admired: George Halas Sr., former coach of the Chicago Bears. He did everything in his power to get his team to win. He was wired to win.
■ Brand most admired: It’s probably a cliché, but I’m going to have to go with Apple.
■ Favorite vacation spot: Maui, Hawaii
■ Last book read: “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10,” by Marcus Luttrell
■ Last movie seen: “Dolphin Tale” with my family
■ Favorite movie: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
■ Favorite musician/band: Toby Keith and U2

■ What is the biggest challenge in your new position?
This year is going to be our biggest year we’ve ever had. … So doing even better than we did this year and creating even more excitement in the marketplace will be my biggest challenge.

■ What is the biggest professional risk you've taken in your career?
That would definitely be this year when we decided to change the color of our metalwoods to white [the R11]. There hasn’t ever been white metalwoods in the marketplace before. … We bet the farm on it, and it paid off very well for us.

■ What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
Being a part of this company for the last 13 years. In the early 2000s we were a $300 million company, and today we’re a $4 billion company, so being a part of this last decade-plus and the growth here is my greatest accomplishment. It’s been a crazy transformation for us.

■ What is your biggest professional disappointment?
It’s hard for me to answer that question; I don’t have one that sticks out. … I guess my major disappointment is that when I was a kid I was assuming I would own the Chicago Bears at this point, and I haven’t fulfilled that dream. … Maybe if we sell enough metalwoods it will happen.

■ What career advice do you have for people wanting into this industry?
Find a part of the sports business industry that you love. I’m lucky that I grew up with a passion for golf, and I get to work in golf every day. There’s an intrinsic value that comes with being able to do something that you genuinely love. But the flip to that is “Don’t chase it,” and by that I mean [that] if you’re constantly trying to move around to find that sweet spot, I’m not sure you’re ever going to get your legs underneath you. Find a way in, be great and great things will find you.

■ What is one story you are continuing to watch in sports today?
That would have to be the conference realignment in college football. I’m a fan of traditional rivalries, and games that mean a lot more because they’ve been played for so long. As those start to go away, I think that’s sad for college sports.

■ What is one element that you would like to change about the sports industry?
I’d love to see major pro teams find a way to keep their long-term athletes versus how they have to jump around on teams so much these days. … It would be good to have an opportunity for them to finish their career where they started.