I was born and raised in NYC. I graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and then later the University of Michigan Business School, both of which had the Wolverine as their mascot, so I always say it was meant to be. In high school, I played tennis, managed the boys baseball team and passed Yankee Stadium every day on my way to school. In college, I discovered the thrill of college football and hockey. Yet my first job after I graduated was not in sports or media. I actually started my career in accounting at Ernst & Young, as a licensed CPA. Most of my clients were large banks and financial institutions. The work was challenging and taught me a lot about managing a business.
I have always been a sports fan and a few years into working at EY I found myself looking to pursue a career in sports and took a role at Time Inc. with hopes of one day working at Sports Illustrated. My work at Time Inc., positioned me for my job at the National Football League in their Digital Media Marketing department. For nine seasons, I worked at the NFL managing the development and implementation of digital media marketing plans for the League's digital subscription products and served as the main liaison between departments for all digital initiatives. While at the NFL I also earned a Masters in Sports Management from Columbia University. I then went on to work at SiriusXM in their digital marketing department. In 2018, when the role of Director of Sports Partnerships opened up I knew I wanted to pursue it and my experience would lend itself well since SiriusXM had been a client of mine when I was at the NFL. Now as the Vice President of SiriusXM's Sports Partnerships & Marketing, I am responsible for content and engagement across 25+ sports channels. I help lead the negotiations with all major league partners to acquire and distribute sports content across SXM platforms that drive consumption and subscriptions. Most recently, securing long-term renewals with the NFL, NHL and NASCAR. From leagues and teams, to broadcasters and brands, my job is to position SiriusXM and its sports partners for success.
As technology continues to evolve, and we see a lot of changes in the Entertainment Industry, I am excited by the tremendous opportunity in being able to deliver content in the formats and places people want it. I think it will also provide the ability for content that didn't traditionally get the same share of voice/ear to grow, for example: women's athletics. You think of women's soccer and they are accessible now on platforms like Twitch, SiriusXM, and ESPN+, which wasn't the case a few years ago. Or if you look at the Women's Basketball tournament, it had huge consumption numbers this year as people were able to watch and listen to the games from their phones from wherever they were versus only at home via linear (TV).
I am extremely proud of being a Ross alum. It is not just the accomplishments (and they are many) of the alumni, but there is a wonderful connection and willingness to help each other. Over the years I have been able to get recommendations and advice from alumni who have worked with my partners or at places I was considering opportunities with. I have had the pleasure of finding a few interns to join my staff. And I have been able to attend various conferences where I was exposed to the latest technologies, research findings, advances in media from some of the best minds in the industry. All of which have in turn contributed to my professional development. There is also recognition of how high the quality of the education we receive at Ross is from everyone I meet across the industry. That recognition has helped open doors for my classmates, myself and my staff over the years.
Look in places you may not traditionally think of. You don't have to work at a broadcaster or an esports company to work in media. There are so many brands who are part of the process. For example, I work with folks who work for banks in their sponsorship departments. I have worked with agencies who are vital part of the creative process in the audio content SiriusXM provides. There are wonderful opportunities at the tech providers that are responsible for the stats, the event ticketing platforms and the mobile apps that power the industry.