Guest Speakers 2004-05
In line with our emphasis on preparing our students to succeed in the sport industry, we regularly have speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds visit campus to interact with our students. Some of the speakers that visited campus during the 2004-2005 academic year were:
Pam Batalis (MS ‘92), Vice President, Business Development, Brand Keys– Among its many efforts dedicated toward the analysis of brand strength, Brand Keys has created the Sport Fan Loyalty Index, which uses a set of complex criteria to assign a loyalty score to major sport franchises. Prior to working at Brand Keys, Ms. Batalis also worked for Reebok and the New England Blizzard of the American Basketball League
Adolpho Birch, Counsel for Labor Relations, National Football League – Mr. Birch’s primary responsibility is the enforcement of the League’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which encompasses issues ranging from player grievances to salary cap disputes to the League’s policies on performance-enhancing drugs and conduct. As part of a panel discussion on steroid use and testing, Mr. Birch provided the NFL’s perspective on the issue.
Declan Bolger (MS ‘89), Chief Marketing Officer, Portland Trail Blazers – Prior to leaving the Trail Blazers in the spring of 2005, Mr. Bolger spoke about the challenges of rebuilding the Trail Blazers brand. Mr. Bolger’s 20+ years of sport industry experience included stints with Florida Panthers and Washington Capitols of the NHL
Greg Bouris (BS ‘83), Director of Communications, Major League Baseball Player’s Association– As one of the primary figures in the MLBPA executive staff, Mr. Bouris is responsible for the communication efforts for baseball’s players’ union. His talk touched on the wide ranging topics facing baseball’s labor situation including the policies associated with drug testing in baseball
Brian Burke, General Manager, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim – Mr. Burke is widely considered to be one of the top minds in hockey, having held the General Manager position with the Hartford Whalers and Vancouver Canucks, and having served as the Senior Vice President of the NHL and Director of Hockey Operations. During the recent NHL lockout, Mr. Burke worked as an analyst to TSN in Canada before being hired in the Spring of 2005 by the Mighty Ducks. Mr. Burke visited campus prior to being hired by the Mighty Ducks to provide valuable insight on the professional hockey labor situation
Mr. Dennis Curran, Vice President, General Counsel, National Football League – Mr. Curran participated in a question and answer session with students where a variety of topics were discussed, including: grievance arbitration, the salary cap, drug testing, collective bargaining. Additionally, Mr. Curran spoke about his career path and his work responsibilities.
Jeff Eisenberg (MS ’83), President, Manchester Monarchs – Mr. Eisenberg was instrumental in the creation and continued success of the Manchester Monarchs minor league hockey club, which is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). Prior to joining the Monarchs, Eisenberg spent over 15 years in senior-level positions with the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies. Under Eisenberg’s direction, the Monarchs were the recipients of the 2005 PRISM Award, awarded annually by the UMass Sport Management program to the top major and minor league sport franchises.
Dave Elkins (BS ’97), Director of Marketing Partnerships, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Mr. Elkins joined the Basketball Hall of Fame after a successful career as an event organizer for Triple Crown Sports. Building on this experience, Mr. Elkins is responsible for creating the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational which annually recruits some of the best boys and girls high school basketball teams in the country to play in a weekend tournament in Springfield.
Len Elmore, College Basketball Analyst, ESPN & Senior Counsel, LeBoeuf Lamb, Greene & MacRae– Mr. Elmore has experienced many sides of the sport industry. He played college and professional basketball, then served as a player agent before taking his current position. Mr. Elmore also earned a Law degree from Harvard after his playing days were over. Because of this interesting background, the question and answer situation with Mr. Elmore spanned a variety of topics including what it is like to be a player agent and the legal ramifications of the Indiana Pacers/Detroit Pistons melee
Mr. David Grant, Principal, Velocity Sports & Entertainment– One of the founders of the fast growing sponsorship consultancy, Velocity, Mr. Grant detailed his prior experiences that led to the founding of Velocity. Mr. Grant also discussed the notion of municipal marketing, outlining the potential business relationships between big brands and cities around the nation
Dr. Douglas Hartmann, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota – Professor Hartmann, who studies the interplay between race and sport, spoke about the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and the statements made by John Carlos and Tommie Smith
Mr. Glenn Horine, Executive Vice President, Arena Football League Properties – Fueled by a recent television deal with NBC Sports, and backed by a league history that extends nearly 20 years, the AFL has proved that there is room for sport leagues other than the “Big Four.” The marketing of the AFL and the league’s decision to move the Arena Bowl to Las Vegas were among the topics addressed by Mr. Horine.
Brooke Kaplan (MS ’01), Manager, International and Sandals, New Balance Athletic Shoe Company – Ms. Kaplan provided an insightful look at the world of product management with one of the leading athletic footwear and apparel companies around. She outlined some of the strategies and tactics followed by NB globally. She also addressed questions such as: how products differ based on region and country; how NB coordinates market research, design, and distribution globally; and what is the NB position in the athletic apparel/footwear industry.
Ms. Pamela Levine (MS ’99), Sales Manager, Saucony – Ms. Levine, who started as a Sports Marketing Specialist at Saucony, now oversees Saucony’s sales efforts in the Western United States. Ms. Levine recounted her previous work experience at Disney Sports and with TWIi before getting into what it is like to work with key accounts to sell more Saucony shoes
Mr. Matt Keator (MS ’95), Hockey Agent – During his Spring 2005 visit to Amherst, Mr. Keator offered career advice, talked about his career path, discussed the athlete representation business and the hockey collective bargaining negotiations (which were ongoing at the time)
Mr. Dave Littlefield (MS ’88), General Manager and Senior Vice President, Pittsburgh Pirates – Mr. Littlefield attained the GM position with the Pirates after successful stints with the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, and Florida Marlins. Mr. Littlefield’s discussion focused on the challenging task his organization faces working with one of baseball’s lowest payrolls and the recent developments on the Pittsburgh sport scene.
Ms. Rama Mandadi (MS ’04), Senior Analyst, ESPN Mobile– As a member of our second dual degree (MBA/MS) class, Ms. Mandadi spent the summer between her first and second year at ESPN doing market assessment for new media projects at ESPN. This was parlayed into a full-time job working for ESPN Mobile, ESPN’s new cell phone venture. While on campus, Ms. Mandadi, spoke about the logistics and challenges associated with ESPN’s new media efforts.
Mr. Fred Ostern, Principal, The Ostern Marketing Group – Mr. Ostern has extensive experience with Quick Service Restaurants (QSR’s). With clients across the country involved with many chain restaurants, Mr. Ostern’s UMass talk focused on the hypercompetitive nature of the restaurant business and how Major League Baseball teams can best partner with QSR’s to grow their brands.
Mr. Dennis Robinson (MS ’82), Vice President of Operations, National Basketball Association – Mr. Robinson provided insight on both the inner workings of the NBA and how students should go about finding positions in sport during his visit to campus in the Spring of 2005
Michael Schetzel, Director of Sales, Boston Red Sox – What is it like to oversee the ticket operations for the world champion? This and many other answers were provided by Mr. Schetzel, a seasoned ticket sales professional who just recently took a job with the National Hot Rod Association.
Steve Schubert (ISOM HTM BS ‘73), Owner, Manchester Wolves – Mr. Schubert, a former professional football player with the Chicago Bears, is now an owner of the Manchester Wolves of Arena Football League 2. Mr. Schubert spoke about the strategic challenges of managing an arena football league team.
Mr. Kenneth Shropshire, David W. Hauck Professor, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania – A one-time licensed agent, an author, and noted academic in the field of sport law, Mr. Shropshire shared his thoughts on racism and integration in sport.
Mr. Michael Tannenbaum (ISOM BBA Accounting ‘92), Assistant General Manager, New York Jets – As the Chief Negotiator and “Capologist” for the New York Jets, Mr. Tannenbaum represents the sophisticated evolution of today’s NFL front office. Mr. Tannenbaum talked about may of the current issues facing football operations personnel in the NFL.
Mr. Dan Touhey, Vice President Marketing, Spalding – Mr. Touhey has been intricately in the turnaround of Spalding which included the introduction of the InfusionTM line of basketballs which saw pumps installed inside basketballs! Mr. Touhey shared his experiences working with one of the strongest sporting goods brands around.
Mr. Marc Williams (MS ’99), Brand Director, Champs Sports – While many experts are talking about the fusion between sports and entertainment, there are few on the cutting edge of influencing that trend. But, this is exactly where Mr. Williams is, having successfully worked with music acts such as Nelly, Fabolous, and Fat Joe to help promote Champs stores. Mr. Williams provided some interesting perspective on his rapid ascent in the sport industry.