Thirty-five women in leadership roles touching nearly every sector of the sports industry from coast to coast have been selected for recognition this fall as part of SportsBusiness Journal/Daily’s annual Game Changers program.
Game Changers, which debuted in 2011, recognizes women in the industry who have broad, deep and varied responsibilities and who are contributing to the success of the industry in myriad ways.
These 35 women will be featured in the Sept. 11 issue of SportsBusiness Journal. They also will be celebrated on Thursday, Sept. 14, in New York at the annual Game Changers: Women in Sports Business conference.
This year’s Game Changers conference will feature panel discussions on investment, growth and challenges facing women’s sports; trailblazers in sports; diversity, technology and intelligence in the workplace; negotiation tactics; and lessons in leadership. The conference also will include featured interviews with Wendy Clark, DDB North America CEO; Christine Driessen, ESPN executive vice president and chief financial officer; Kim Pegula, owner and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment and co-owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres; and Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships.
In addition, a special breakfast roundtable will have a discussion on storytelling in sports: how to grow professionally and personally.
For more information on the conference program, and to read about previous Game Changers, go to www.game-changers-conference.com.
Game Changers Class of 2017
Jean Afterman, New York Yankees Morane Kerek, U.S. Olympic Committee
Christina Alejandre, League Gina Lehe, College Football Playoff
Kenyatta Bynoe, Spalding Lauren Cooks Levitan, Fanatics
Katie Bynum, U.S. Golf Association Adrienne Lofton, Under Armour
Danielle Cantor, FAME Jodi Logsdon, CBS Sports
Jennifer Cohen, University of Washington Samita Mannapperuma, NBC Sports
Kirsten Corio, U.S. Tennis Association Beth McClinton, Creative Artists Agency
Sarah Cummins, New York Road Runners Stephanie McMahon, WWE
Ayala Deutsch, NBA Marisabel Muñoz, MLS
Kim Fields, NFL Erika Nardini, Barstool Sports
Laura Froelich, Twitter Elizabeth O’Brien, IBM
Libby Geist, ESPN Nzinga Shaw, Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena
Hannah Gordon, San Francisco 49ers Renata Simril, LA84 Foundation
Shauna Griffiths, LeadDog Marketing Shauna Smith, Aquarius Sports and Group Entertainment
Catie Griggs, Futures Sport + Entertainment Keisha Taylor, Learfield
Amy Howe, Ticketmaster North America at Renee Tirado, MLB
Live Nation Entertainment Renee Washington, USA Track & Field
Allison Keller, PGA Tour Lynn White, NHL
