Washington Spirit Appoints Emma May as President of Business Operations
September 16, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Washington Spirit News Release
Washington, D.C. – The Washington Spirit has named Emma May as the new President of Business Operations. Working closely with club owner Michele Kang, May will oversee team business functions.
“Emma is the perfect leader as we embark on an ambitious goal of professionalizing and transforming the club into one of the best sports franchises in the world,” said Kang. “Emma’s experience and expertise in branding, marketing and media, especially in the sports world, is second to none. More importantly, her genuine empathetic leadership will be instrumental as we build a collaborative and winning culture.”
May currently serves as the Senior Brand Director of Global Athlete Marketing at Nike, where she led the team responsible for setting and driving Nike’s global elite marketing strategy. Among other accomplishments, May’s Nike portfolio included deep experience in marketing women’s professional sports, including the NWSL and WNBA. She will begin her duties with the Spirit on October 24.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to join the Spirit as the new President of Business Operations during this transformational time,” said May. “Michele has a vision and is committed to making this club one of the best in the world. We have an opportunity to build something special for players and stakeholders from our employees here at the Spirit, the supporters, and the next generation of fans and players in the area. I am so proud to be a part of that.”
At Nike, May led priority athlete marketing plans and created new ways to tell important stories with key strategic athlete-owned content partners. May held several other leadership positions at Nike during her tenure including leading marketing efforts for its Leagues, Athletes and Grassroots in North America and Global Basketball teams.
Prior to Nike, May held various positions at Turner Sports, culminating in her role as Vice President of Marketing for Bleacher Report Live, NBA Digital and NBA on TNT. At Turner Sports, she launched a digital subscription service for Bleacher Report, drove continuous growth for NBA League Pass and led content marketing efforts for NBA on TNT and NBA TV. Additionally, May has worked with Red Bull, Nissan North America and Athlon Sports.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee, May is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. May has done volunteer work at Humanities Tennessee, Habitat for Humanity, Nashville CARES, Big Brother/Big Sister, Hands On Nashville and Make A Wish Foundation.
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