FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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.
A Message From the President/Chair:
In her latest "Message From The President/Chair," Stephanie Hightower looks
back at the last 18 months at USA Track & Field and sets the tone for the
future. With Max Siegel announced as the organization's new CEO, Hightower
discusses the role of the board of directors and the USATF community at
large as they unite behind new leadership. To read the blog, visit
http://usatf.org/events/files/Hightower%20blog%20Siegel%20announcement.pdf
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field,
long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF
encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track &
Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and
junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult
runners in the United States: www.usatf.org.
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