by Larry Eder
Max Siegel, CEO, USA Track & Field, photo courtesy of USA Track & Field
Max Siegel is the new CEO of USA Track & Field. A marketing and sports marketing executive with vast experience, Mr. Siegel was the unanimous vote of the USATF board. Here is the release on Max. We were unable to participate in the press conference today, however, we have requested an interview with Mr. Siegel and will keep you updated.
In the mean time, we wish Max Siegel best wishes. He brings a new energy to the sport we love and we will look forward to his new focus.
Max Siegel named CEO of USA Track & Field
INDIANAPOLIS – USA Track
& Field’s board of directors has selected Max Siegel to serve as
CEO, President and Chair Stephanie Hightower announced Monday.
The board voted unanimously to hire Siegel
after two CEO searches that took place over the course of 16 months. He
will become the fourth CEO in the organization’s history when he assumes
his duties on May 1 as part of a two-year contract. Chief Operating
Officer Mike McNees had served as interim CEO since September, 2010.
“The
search for our next CEO was a process that we believe will
fundamentally change USA Track & Field,” Hightower said. “It forced
our board to put into focus what our greatest needs and priorities are.
And in the end, it brought us an executive in Max Siegel who blends a
knowledge of our sport and its political considerations with an
impressive record of success in the broader sports and entertainment
markets.”
“I
am honored by the opportunity to serve as USA Track & Field’s CEO,”
Siegel said. “Since I first got involved with USATF in 2009, I have
been passionate about the potential for financial growth and mainstream
cultural visibility.
“This sport has it all:
charismatic stars, great stories, unmatched diversity, grassroots
participation in the tens of millions, a multi-billion-dollar
sporting-goods industry, and a passionate base. Connecting those dots is
what the board, our staff and volunteers will work together to
achieve.”
Working in various
executive capacities in the sports and entertainment fields over the
last 20 years, Siegel’s track record has consistently been that of
financial growth and competitive success.
He previously served as
President of Global Operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he sold
tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship; and as Senior Vice President
at Sony/BMG and as President of Zomba Gospel, Tommy Boy Gospel and
Verity Records, where he led one of the most profitable divisions in the
Sony BMG system. As a music executive, he increased top-line revenue
and reduced expenses to yield unprecedented profit in the gospel
industry. He was part of the executive team overseeing the careers of
stars such as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher.
The owner of Rev Racing,
Siegel took NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and advanced it from a
fledging effort to add diversity to the sport into a competitive
juggernaut on the racetrack. In 2011, his team’s drivers won 50 percent
of all races on the K&N Pro Series East circuit, NASCAR’s top
developmental circuit.
Siegel is a former
director on the boards of USA Track & Field and the USA Swimming
Foundation with more than 20 years as a high-profile executive and
attorney in the sports, entertainment and media industries. Additional
Olympic-family experience includes work with USA Gymnastics, USA Skiing,
USA Swimming and the Goodwill Games while he was an attorney with
Indianapolis-based Baker & Daniels in the 1990s. In addition to
representing sports figures such as Hall of Famers Reggie White and Tony
Gwynn during their careers, he has created literary, television and
film properties, including the 2010 BET Networks series, “Changing Lanes,” and the 2011 ESPN documentary, “Wendell Scott: A Race Story.” Scott
was among the recently announced list of nominees eligible for the
NASCAR Hall of Fame. Siegel also is the author of “Know What Makes Them
Tick: How to Successfully Negotiate Almost Any Situation.”
“Countless
members of the track & field community had suggested that we
consider Max for the position, citing his success as an executive, his
rolodex and his ability to bring people together to get things done,”
Hightower said. “Selecting Max unanimously has brought a renewed unity
to our board and will enable the organization to recalibrate our
structure and function so we can move forward as a professional
organization.”
The
first African-American to graduate with honors from Notre Dame law
school, Siegel is a native of Indianapolis and resides in the city.
