SASHA PREZIOS / NFL
Renie
Anderson
Age: 40 (turned 40 in January)
League: NFL
Title: Senior vice president, sponsorship and partnership management
Where born: Morganfield, Ky.
Education: Ole Miss (B.A., liberal arts/journalism)
Family: Husband, Chris McCloskey; daughters, Callie (7) and Kate (6)
Favorite way to unwind: Hot vinyasa yoga.
Cause supported: Thumbs Up for Lane Goodwin Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Most thrilling/adventurous thing I’ve ever done: Becoming a mom of two wildly fun girls.
If I could change jobs with anyone for a day, it would be: Any female performer to ever step on the stage of “SNL.” Their talent is amazing, and the joy and laughter they bring to people is awesome.
2015 will be a good year if: It’s already a good year. My youngest turned 6, my eldest loves second grade, and Super Bowl XLIX was the most watched show in U.S. television history. We’re off to a great start!
My fellow Forty Under 40 class members would be surprised to know that I: Am a jelly bean connoisseur.
Renie Anderson is the ultimate evangelist for those who consider football the pre-eminent team game.
Even as she heads for the Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame as a three-time honoree, Anderson would much prefer to credit her fellow marketers for their work — be it Doug Smoyer (vice president, business development), Dave Lynch (group managing director, sponsorship and media sales), Joe Ruggiero (director, strategy and business development) or Tracie Rodburg (group managing director).
“I get to sign the deals when they are done, which is enjoyable,” Anderson said, “but after almost 10 years doing this, watching the team put all the pieces together is the most satisfying thing I get to do.”
League sponsorship revenue has quadrupled since Anderson started at the NFL as a manager of business development in 2006 following nearly a decade with the Arena Football League. She shattered the perceived “glass ceiling” for women at the NFL “boys club,” helping to close deals that had eluded the NFL in years past — like the Procter & Gamble pact across multiple categories, and a deal with Microsoft. McDonald’s also came back into the fold as an NFL partner in 2012 after a 15-year hiatus.
“Renie has a passion for the [NFL] brand and product like I’ve never seen,” said Keith Turner, senior vice president of media sales and sponsorships at the NFL from 2009 to 2012 and now president of advertising sales and marketing at Univision. “She’ll go to any length or level to get things done.”
{podcast}
SBJ Podcast:
Forty Under 40 editor Mark Mensheha and Executive Editor Abraham Madkour discuss this year's class, some of the more interesting stories in it and how the selection process works.
Some recent examples: Over the past year, home audio rights holder Bose was elevated to a sideline partner, with branding on coaches headsets; and the insurance category was artfully divided between incumbent USAA and Nationwide, a feat perhaps only the NFL could accomplish.
“Even as sponsorship revenues have grown, we’re doing it with about the same amount of people who are working better together,” Anderson said.
Her accomplishments are even more worthy of note when you consider that in her nine years she has reported to 13 different people. Anderson said her current direct-report, Brian Rolapp, NFL executive vice president of media, has been an important ally.
“He allows you to do your job, trusts you, and doesn’t micromanage,” Anderson said.
Among sponsors, Anderson’s reputation is as someone who gets things done with efficiency and transparency.
“Renie’s great to work with, and the more you work with her on any particular issue, the more you appreciate her abilities,” said Adam Harter, Pepsi vice president, consumer engagement. “We know she’s someone we can depend on, and that’s really strengthened our partnership when we were making bigger investments, like the Super Bowl halftime show.”
After a 2014 season in which the NFL was plagued by domestic violence cases and other storylines that questioned the league’s leadership and damaged its reputation, Anderson typically is looking at the upside.
“As a league, it taught us a real lesson,” she said of the past season. “There are going to be other things that will probably happen, but we’re kind of the face of society now. Now, we’re set up to react in a more positive way and make sure we are focusing on the things that matter.”
— Terry Lefton
