THE PRODIGY REPORT
OUR THIRD QUARTER UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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A LETTER FROM OUR LEADERS
With Labor Day in our rearview mirror, we know many people are focused on looking forward to the new season and pushing towards finishing off the calendar year strong. While we often talk about reflection and evaluation of the prior quarter, months, or year - in this instance - we’d like to take this time to discuss Labor Day and this time of year.
Sure, many of us look to this month as the "unofficial" end to summer with school starting and we try to enjoy a long weekend on a beach, by the pool, or on top of a mountain. Others may have used that three-day period to take advantage of the discounted retail items or even get a way-too-early start on holiday shopping.
But what about the celebration of workers?! Our country was built on the efforts of trade unions and labor movements, and we’ve expanded this celebration to the dedicated work and efforts of the modern, present-day employee. Our sports and entertainment industries are made up of some of the hardest working, most tireless individuals, companies, and teams, striving to provide the best experience for each sports fan or concert goer.
We work long hours, nights, weekends, and holidays - not so we can tell others that we are grinding away, but mostly because we love what we do! Don’t fall into the negative trap of ignoring how great it is to work in this industry. Yes, it is a business. Yes, it is a job. But let us continue to have the same pride and integrity for our work that those tradesmen and union workers had - for whom the original Labor Day initially sought to honor and celebrate - when we reflect on our work efforts and product this holiday.
Scott Carmichael, Founder & CEO
Mark Gress Jr., Partner
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IN THIS ISSUE
A Letter from our Leaders
D&I Educational Initiative: Our Newest Advisors
In the Spotlight: Success Stories
Worth a Listen: D&I Prodigy Search Presents
Up & Coming: Highlighted Openings
Back in Action: On the Map
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022 |
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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE |
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WELCOME OUR NEWEST ADVISORS |
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Prodigy Search is excited to welcome Amy Hever and Sukhi Sandhu as the newest additions to our Diversity & Inclusion Board of Advisors! These new members have already given tremendous feedback and have provided several topics of discussion to continue to challenge and educate our entire team.
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"I wanted to do more to support and embrace our community [so] I decided my next career role would be in the social sector, and it happened to be in the arts and humanities. This experience was game changing for me. I knew this was the space I wanted to be in." - A. Hever |
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Amy Hever is an accomplished social impact executive with more than 20 years of progressive experience delivering measurable results to nonprofit and for-profit companies across a range of industries. Her career journey has given her the opportunity to lean into some of the world’s most pressing and complex challenges through a variety of outlets.
Growing up in both New Jersey and Tokyo, she received her Bachelor’s in History and East Asian Studies from Binghamton University in New York. She then accepted her first role as the General Manager at a German-toy company located in Palm Beach, FL. Hever made Palm Beach County home for more than 12 years, landing her first nonprofit role with Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens. Her career has brought her to destinations up and down the I-95 corridor, including the American Red Cross, Scripps Research Institute and the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, as well as the distinguished Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, before making yet another transition into sports with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.
She now leads the Major League Baseball Players Trust – the charitable arm of the Players Association. Hever is responsible for accelerating and amplifying the charitable interests and efforts of professional baseball players.
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"Transformative action and racial equity are the only way forward towards greater inclusivity in sport.
As the late Nelson Mandela stated 'Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.'" - S. Sandhu
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Sukhi Sandhu is a distinguished international sports industry executive and program leader with 20+ years of experience helping organizations in planning, venue operations and competitions. Throughout his career, Sandhu’s experience includes event operations roles with some of the most iconic global events including International Champions Cup, the FIFA World Cup, Indian Premier League, Asian Champions Field Hockey, the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, among others. In 2013, he was appointed as Head of Events at the Aspire Zone Foundation in Doha, Qatar - one of the world's finest sporting destinations - which hosts many international competitions and training camps. During this time, he was elected to lead the 2015 Doha GOALS Forum in Los Angeles, CA, highlighting the role of sport as a driver for social change.
Serving on several committees and boards, Sandhu always advocates the need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in society. This includes his role as Chair of the Intercultural Inclusivity Taskforce for the City of Surrey - whose report was recipient of the National Race Relations Award. He has consistently led tough conversations in the anti-racism space and his community activism helps bring a strong voice towards the greater empowerment of marginalized groups.
A native of Vancouver, Canada, Sandhu is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Diversity and Inclusion at Tufts University, focusing his research on a 'Holistic approach to DEI in sport'.
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To learn more about our Advisors and our Educational Initiative, visit our D&I webpage.
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022 |
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At Prodigy Search, we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations and over-delivering with every executive recruitment search project we engage in.
We are honored to have so many loyal clients and pleased to share a
sample of our recent success stories.
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USA Lacrosse
Chief Executive Officer
NEED: USA Lacrosse is a member and donor-driven nonprofit organization and the national governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States. Having been led by former CEO Steve Stenersen since its inception in 1998, the National Governing Body sought a new leader when he announced his retirement in 2021. With more than 425,000 members nationwide, 200+ staff and volunteers as well as over 7,000 annual donors, USA Lacrosse understood the need to bring someone who could provide visionary and operational leadership for the organization, while working with the Board of Directors and the senior management team to develop and execute the mission and strategic plan. In order to reach this goal, USA Lacrosse identified Prodigy Search as their executive recruitment partner to conduct a nationwide search for their newest CEO.
RESULT: It was quickly evident this position represented an extraordinary opportunity that elicited high interest from potential candidates nationwide. Although the final candidate did not need to be a current or former lacrosse player, or have history in the sport, it was important that he or she embodied what USA Lacrosse has built and could execute their vision, leading the National Governing Body into the future. Ultimately, Marc Riccio, a C-level sports executive with a prior career history at the New York Jets and Lagardere Sports, was selected after a nationwide search was collaboratively executed by the USA Lacrosse Board of Directors and Prodigy Search. “We set out to identify a leader who was an innovator and a connector, a critical thinker and a strategist, someone with integrity and deep passion for the mission of USA Lacrosse. We found that leader in Marc,” said Beth Lyman, chair of the USA Lacrosse Board of Directors. “A seasoned sports and media executive with a proven track record of revenue growth, we have every confidence Marc will lead the organization and game to new heights.”
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Boston Bruins/TD Garden
Vice President, Business Strategy
NEED: Delaware North is one of the world’s preeminent venue, entertainment, and hospitality services companies. The organization is one the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues exceeding $2 billion annually and 60,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Their Boston arm owns and operates TD Garden and the NHL’s Boston Bruins. As a group that values forward-thinking and always has an eye on the “next” idea, Delaware North needed an individual to head a strategic team focusing on business intelligence, business solutions, and digital marketing. This person had to be able to provide business intelligence and strategic direction for fan and client marketing and analysis, retention and sales strategy, retail, ecommerce, parking, market research, CRM and sales planning. Delaware North needed a dynamic individual capable of developing critical insights and then leading the capitalization efforts based on that information.
RESULT: Delaware North and Prodigy Search were able to build upon a successful years-long relationship based on mutual respect, both professional and personal. The Vice President, Business Strategy was a unique position that called for experience beyond professional sports. Prodigy Search conducted a nationwide search, sourcing candidates in multiple industries, developing a deep candidate pool of well-qualified individuals. Through this process, Samia Mahjub emerged as the person to fill the role. She has Boston roots as she received both her bachelors and master’s degrees at MIT and was a member of the Varsity Women’s Basketball team. The former Vice President, Business Analytics & Strategy for the Milwaukee Brewers and former Director of Global Basketball Strategy for Adidas has a sharp acumen for business strategy and innovation and has hit the ground running in 2022.
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More of our recent success stories can be found on our website.
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022 |
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PRODIGY SEARCH PRESENTS:
D&I BOARD OF ADVISORS MINI-SERIES
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We were fortunate to have the following industry professionals join us on our special interview mini-series Prodigy Search Presents: Diversity & Inclusion.
Some of our D&I Board of Advisors stopped by the series to share more on their current positions, prominent initiatives, and the significance of D&I in our ever-evolving industry.
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Natalie Rogers
Natalie Rogers is the current Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Well-Being at American University. In this role, she oversees the departments that contribute to the mental and physical well-being of student-athletes. In addition, Rogers oversees all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the athletic department.
Much of the conversation in this episode with Rogers lead to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the importance it has to her and our industry.
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Tim Wise
Tim Wise is the Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Notre Dame. He is an active member in NACDA and currently the 2nd Vice President for Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).
Wise talks about the evolution and growth of MOAA, his continued involvement with NACDA and the recent coalition with LEAD1 Association. He also highlights the 22nd Annual Lead1 Institute which was held in mid July at Notre Dame.
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Regina Ford
Regina Ford brings 15+ years of experience within the staffing, recruiting, and community relations space, most recently holding key DEI positions with Caesars and MGM Resorts.
In this episode, she talks about the importance data and tracking serves in driving DEI strategies and how critical it is for an organization to utilize this information to bring about real change. Ford also shares her perspective on how things have changed within the hospitality and gaming industries - specifically relating to talent acquisition.
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Kyle Ellington
Kyle Ellington is the Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging with the Oakland Athletics.
Ellington talks about his transition from a traditional HR role to becoming the first DEI representative at the Sacramento Kings and the Oakland Athletics with the unique positioning and importance that a DEI role plays within the entire organizational strategy; from employee and supplier diversity to the understanding of Equity and Belonging within an organization, their fan base, and clients.
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To catch up on latest episodes,
please click the links below for our YouTube Channel, podcast on Anchor or wherever you get your podcasts.
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022 |
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HIGHLIGHTED OPENINGS
Below are a few of our new opportunities hyperlinked to their respective job descriptions.
Feel free to apply directly or share with your network for those that are looking to get back into an expanding workforce.
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General Manager, F&B Operations:
Golden 1 Center
Organization: Legends
Location: Sacramento, CA
Category: Food Service
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Sports Marketing Business Communications Leader
Organization: Dow
Location: Midland, MI
Category: Communications
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Head of Operations
Organization: BaAM Productions (BaAM)
Location: Toronto, CA
Category: C-level
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Vice President, Sponsorship Consulting (Olympic)
Organization: MKTG Sports & Entertainment
Location: Charlotte, NC or Westport, CT
Category: Partnership Marketing
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Senior Executive, Sponsorship Consulting (Strategy)
Organization: MKTG Sports & Entertainment
Location: Charlotte, NC or Westport, CT
Category: Partnership Marketing
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Executive, Youth Protection
Organization: Boy Scouts of America
Location: Irving, TX
Category: Non-profit
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022 |
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For opportunities to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, visit their website linked here.
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Earlier this summer, the Prodigy Search team rolled up their sleeves to give back to the local community. Working with Habitat for Humanity, we visited a neighborhood in the Freehold area and began the process of building an ADA-ramp for one of the homes.
It was a wonderful experience for the team getting together for a great cause.
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Our team is in full force, traveling around the country - and even globally - during the 3rd|4th quarters at the following conferences, events, and client visits.
Visit our social media pages to see who is going and feel free to reach out to connect!
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Drexel University Sport Business |
Earlier this month, Prodigy Search Founder & CEO, Scott Carmichael, spoke on the latest edition of the Drexel University Sport Business Roundtable.
As a Drexel University Sport Business Advisory Board Member, Carmichael sheds light on his career path and how college students in the sport industry can separate themselves from their peers.
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PRODIGY SEARCH - THIRD QUARTER 2022
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