Jim O'Connell
Matt Samost
Vice President of New Ventures, Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment
Age: 28
Born: Walpole, Mass.
Education: Syracuse University; B.S., sport management
About you
Could not go a day without: Piano. It’s my way to unplug from technology and decompress from the day. Playing music has always been a key balancing factor in my life.
Go-to person when you need help: Without a doubt, my father — even though we live in different cities, we talk on the phone every day; he’s my constant resource for life and professional advice. Everything I know about hard work and having a strong set of core values has been passed to me by my parents.
In 10 years I hope to be … : Still learning. I am constantly driven by and appreciative of the variety of my role and the ability to learn and grow with each project, responsibility, etc. I’ve learned through my industry mentors and current bosses that a consistent appetite for learning never needs to diminish regardless of what your title / role is within an organization.
I was surprised by how much relationships matter in the sports industry; networks matter in any industry, but there’s definitely a tighter industry ‘community’ in sports and deep connectivity across teams, leagues [and] agencies.
In the industry
Most exciting aspect of sports business: I’m fascinated by the sport media disruption tied to shifting consumer habits. Progression of automated production technology, second-screen experiences, alternative broadcasts, stat / betting overlays All are opportunities for organizations moving forward to continue to evolve their media offerings.
Questions for networking: I always prefer to have engaging dialogue on trends / topics of the industry vs. asking any specific questions of folks.
Sports industry needs to do a better job of … : Elevating overall industry wage levels to ensure that candidates from all backgrounds have access points into the industry and to ensure that the industry can continue to attract the highest levels of talent into its workforce, especially in entry-level and middle-management roles.
