gino depinto / verizon media
With a dad who attended Woodstock and a mom who earned a black belt, it’s no wonder Ishwara Glassman Chrein is a natural extrovert with an ultra-competitive streak. Both traits have served her well at Yahoo Sports, part of Verizon Media.
Head of Sports Partnerships / Business Development, Yahoo Sports / Verizon Media
Age: 39
Born: Sacramento
Education: Columbia University, B.A., economics and political science; Master of International Affairs, international finance and business
Family: Husband, Jason; children, Chloe (10), Matthew (8)
Profession I’d most like to attempt: Secretary of State.
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate chip cookies and reading, ideally together.
Could not go a day without: My dog.
Causes supported: WISE, Business of Sports School.
Person in the industry I’d most like to meet: I have met Venus and Serena Williams, but I would love to be adopted into their family.
Most unusual question I’ve been asked while networking: People are always curious where I got my name. My ancestors came over to the U.S. from Germany and Russia in the late 1800s, but my parents became interested in Eastern religion. My name means goddess in India.
Sports business leaders should be more mindful of … : Hiring people who look and think like their fans.
Ideal day off: Spent watching live sports all day long.
In October, she helped close a sports betting deal for Yahoo Sports and BetMGM, a multiyear agreement with Roar Digital, the joint venture between MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings. Leading a large interdisciplinary team spanning multiple continents while vetting potential partners required a mix of determination, relationship-building, industry knowledge and sheer force of will.
“A good partnership is one where you are not reading the contract very often — you are really just doing what’s right for both sides,” Glassman Chrein said.
Hired to lead a $1 billion-plus partnership with the NFL at Verizon Media, her duties have quickly expanded. She oversees Verizon Media’s relationships with leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, among others), media partners, content distributors, statistics companies, and with betting and fantasy partners. She touches every deal Yahoo Sports does, including ideation/strategy, structuring, negotiation, implementation and management.
“I get to do sports deals for a living,” she said. “I could probably go be COO of a plumbing goods company, and it’s many of the same skills, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.”
