World Class Athletes and Executives from BSE Global, CA Technologies, the Ivy League Council of Presidents, NBC Sports and VISA Join Mission to Unlock Girls’ Potential Through Sport
New York, NY (June 12, 2018) — The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) announced today a new President-elect and six new members to the Board of Trustees. Two-time World Champion and three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled, has assumed the role as president-elect and will provide leadership and visibility for the organization’s mission alongside new Board members Portia Archer, Jeff Gewirtz, Mike Gregoire, Robin Harris, Kate Johnson and Phaidra Knight.
“We’re thrilled to welcome all seven of our newest members, and are humbled by the deep breadth of leadership, experience, and commitment to women and girls’ health and equity that they bring to WSF. We look forward to the many contributions their talent and perspective will make on the Women’s Sports Foundation Board,” says Dr. Deborah Antoine, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Elana will serve a one-year term as president, succeeding current president and six-time X Games medalist freeskier, Grete Eliassen, in January 2019. She will also co-chair the Foundation’s Athlete Advisory Council.
An amazingly talented all-around athlete, Elana is a bobsledding pioneer and former professional softball player whose Olympic dreams were born on the diamond but realized on the ice. Elana is an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Women’s Bobsled National Team, capturing four World Championships, three Olympic medals and the World Cup. In 2015, Elana made history becoming the first woman to earn a spot on the Men’s Bobsled National Team as a four-man bobsled pilot.
To learn more about the newest members of WSF leadership, please find their bios below:
Portia Archer is Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer Services for NBC Sports, and is responsible for the launch, development and management of NBC Sports Group’s direct-to-consumer business and live streaming product, NBC Sports Gold. Portia previously held senior management positions at the BBC and HBO. She is the founder of NBC Sports Group’s “Huddle Up” mentorship program, dedicated to fostering strong connections and growth opportunities for NBC Sports employees. Portia is also a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2018, Portia was named one of AdWeek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports. A native of Chicago, Ill., Portia graduated from The University of Chicago with a A.B. in Public Policy and Economics and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Jeffrey Gewirtz is the Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer for BSE Global (BSE). Jeff is responsible for advising BSE’s Board of Advisory Directors and executive management for BSE’s holdings, including the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, and the business operations of the New York Islanders, among others. Prior to joining BSE, Jeff served as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) General Counsel and Chief Legal & Government Affairs Officer. He has also held positions with The Coca-Cola Company, IOC, LPGA Tour and WTA. Jeff sits on the Board of Directors of the National Sports Law Institute and Brooklyn Volunteers Lawyers Project and serves on the executive committee for the Sports Lawyers Association. Jeff was a four-year member of the Tufts University Varsity Tennis Team and a member of its New England Championship team. Jeff earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School.
Mike Gregoire is Chief Executive Officer of CA Technologies, a $4.5 billion global software company. Before joining CA in 2013, Mike was CEO of Taleo Corporation, a leading cloud-based talent management software company that he built and took public before its successful sale to Oracle in 2012. Mike has also served as Executive Vice President at People Soft and Executive Director at Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Mike is the chair of the World Economic Forum’s IT Governors Steering Committee, as well as a member of the Business Roundtable’s Information and Technology Committee. He serves on the Executive Council of TechNet, the Board of Directors of ADP and the Board of the nonprofit NPower. A competitive cyclist and avid skier, Mike earned a B.S. in Physics and Computing from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, and an MBA from California Coast University.
Robin Harris is the Executive Director of the Ivy League. Harris has led the Ivy League in the creation and development of the Ivy League Network; broad-based concussion research and prevention; implementation of the Ivy League Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments and expansion of the League’s television coverage including a ground-breaking agreement with ESPN in 2018. Robin currently serves on the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee; the Board of Governors of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Advisory Board of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, among others. In 2016, SportsBusiness Journal selected Harris as a “Game Changer,” a national recognition of select female sports executives. Previously, Robin served as president of Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA). Prior to joining the Ivy League, Robin was co-chair of Ice Miller, LLP’s Collegiate Sports Practice and spent nine years at the NCAA, ending her tenure as associate chief of staff for Division I. She graduated with a B.A. from Duke University and earned her law degree from Duke University School of Law.
Katherine Johnson is Vice President and Head of Global Sponsorship Marketing at Visa. In her role, she oversees the global portfolio of sponsorships including the IOC, FIFA and NFL. Prior to joining Visa, Kate served as a senior director within WME IMG’s Global Consulting Group and managed a portfolio including Wimbledon, World Golf Championships, the US & British Open, and the Beijing, Vancouver, London and Sochi Olympics. In 2017, Kate was named one of AdWeek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports. She also received Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty Award. Kate is a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the Women’s 8+, a 2002 World Champion, and an Olympic and World Record holder in rowing. Kate is a graduate of the University of Michigan, a three-time first team All-American and was named Big Ten Rower of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2000, 2001). She was inducted into the University of Michigan’s Hall of Honor in 2016.
Phaidra Knight, J.D. is an athlete, attorney, media talent, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. She is a three-time World Rugby Cup player, was named US Rugby Player of the Decade in 2010 and is an inductee to the World Rugby Hall of Fame (2017). She recently founded PeaK Unleashed, a non-profit focused on youth leadership with an initial mission of offering rugby to incarcerated youth. Phaidra works as a television analyst for NBC Sports and appears in other outlets including ESPNl, Flo Rugby and World Rugby. She speaks to global audiences on leadership, fitness, childhood obesity, LGBT matters, and anti-bullying. Phaidra serves on the Board of Directors of USA Rugby and the WSF Athlete Advisory Council. A native of Irwinton, Ga., Phaidra earned a dual B.A. in Political Science and Speech Communications at Alabama State University before studying law at the University of Wisconsin.
Elana Meyers Taylor is a four-time World Champion, six-time World Championships medalist, three-time Winter Olympian and medalist (2010, 2014, 2018) and 2015 World Cup Champion in bobsled. In 2014, she earned a place on Team USA Rugby 7s and competed in two international caps before returning to her bobsled training for the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang where she won silver. Elana served a six-year term as an Athlete Director on the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation Board of Directors and is currently a mentor for ClassroomChampions. A native of Douglasville, GA, Elana received her MBA in Finance from Keller Graduate School of DeVry University and earned her Master’s in Sports Management from George Washington University, where she competed in softball and also received a B.A. in Exercise Science. In 2018, the university honored her with an honorary doctorate.
For a complete list of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Board of Trustees, please visit: wsfstaging.wpengine.com/home/about-us/people/board-of-trustees.
About Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation is a powerful voice, catalyst and convener dedicated to ensuring all girls have equal access to sports and physical activity and the tremendous life-long benefits they provide. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we seek to strengthen and expand opportunities for all girls and women to participate in all sports at all levels through research, advocacy, community impact and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. The Women’s Sports Foundation has relationships with more than 1,000 of the world’s elite female athletes and has positively shaped the lives of more than 3 million youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes. To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org or follow us at @WomensSportsFdn and www.facebook.com/WomensSportsFoundation.
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