McCormack Alumni Named to Sports Business Journal’s 2019 “Forty Under 40” Class

March 8, 2019

The number 13 recently proved a lucky one for the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, as two of its distinguished alumni—Michael Goldstein (’07 MBA/MS) and Joe Smith (’05 MS)—became the

Michael Goldstein.jpg
The number 13 recently proved a lucky one for the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, as two of its distinguished alumni—Michael Goldstein (’07 MBA/MS) and Joe Smith (’05 MS)—became the 12th and 13th McCormack graduates to be awarded Sports Business Journal’s prestigious "Forty Under 40" award.

With this recognition, the McCormack Department of Sport Management added to its lofty distinction: No sport management program in the world has produced more Sports Business Journal “Forty Under 40” award winners.

Goldstein, MasterCard’s Vice President of Sponsorships, and Smith, SVP of Global Sponsorship Marketing for Bank of America, will receive their awards at the annual Forty Under 40 Gala on April 4, 2019.

Michael Goldstein’s career path has included positions as an associate producer at ESPN, followed by a three-year tenure with Octagon Marketing. Goldstein found his niche for sponsorship consulting at Octagon and transitioned to the brand side when he became the manager of promotions and sponsorships with LG Electronics in September of 2010. After two years with LG, Goldstein landed at MasterCard, where he currently holds the position of vice president of sponsorships.

Joe Smith.jpg
Upon graduating from the McCormack department, Joe Smith spent two years as a client manager with Genesco Sports Enterprises (GSE). Smith’s role at GSE was mainly corporate consulting for Pepsi’s sponsorships and in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and US Soccer. In 2007, Smith moved on to Octagon where he continued following his passion for sport sponsorship. Smith delved into contract valuations, strategic marketing plans, and budget management with Octagon. After three years, he landed with Bank of America, where he currently holds the position of senior vice president of global sponsorship marketing.

“My time at UMass really set me up for success in my career,” said Smith. “Not only did the program offer valuable, real-life experiences that I’ve applied in the roles I’ve had, but it also gave me access to an incredible network of alumni who are invested in helping fellow Minutemen.”

The other McCormack Sport Management alumni who have garnered SBJ’s Forty Under 40 award include Woodie Dixon, Jeff Ianello, Burke Magnus, Howie Nuchow, Zaileen Janmohamed, Amy Gleeson, Wade Martin, Jeff Price, Jeffrey Pollack, Ashwin Puri, and David Wright.