WISE Announces 2018 WISE Women of the Year Award Recipients

NEW YORK, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in Sports and Events (WISE), the leading voice and resource for women in the business of sports, today announced the recipients of this year's 2018 WISE Women of the Year Award, which will be presented at the 24^th Annual WISE Women of the Year Awards Luncheon on June 13, 2018, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

The 2018 recipients are Lindsay Amstutz, SVP and GM, FOX Sports West/FOX Sports San Diego/Prime Ticket; Sarah Robb O'Hagan, Chief Executive Officer, Flywheel Sports; and Kim Stone, EVP and GM, AmericanAirlines Arena and the Miami HEAT. WISE members across the country voted to award these honorees for their accomplishments and significant contributions to the business of sports.

"Lindsay, Sarah and Kim represent the diversity of leadership roles currently occupied by women in the sports industry," said Kathleen Francis, national chair of WISE. "We are pleased to recognize their vast business accomplishments, but more importantly salute their commitment to ensuring all women have the same opportunity to excel in their chosen fields"

Read on for more information about this year's honorees:

• Lindsay Amstutz – SVP and GM, FOX Sports West/FOX Sports San Diego/Prime Ticket – Lindsay Amstutz serves as the general manager for three FOX Sports regional networks in Southern California, managing day-to-day operations for FOX Sports West, Prime Ticket and FOX Sports San Diego. Previously she served as vice president of marketing for FOX Sports Regional Networks, overseeing marketing efforts across 22 RSNs, and earlier was director of marketing and on-air presentation for FOX Sports West and Prime Ticket in Los Angeles. Earlier, Amstutz was vice president and chief marketing officer for the Los Angeles Sparks after two years with the National Basketball Association's team marketing and business operations group as director, WNBA team business development. Prior to the NBA, she was a sports and entertainment transactional associate for O'Melveny & Myers LLP. In addition, she was employed in the athletic marketing departments for Santa Clara and Stanford University. Sports Business Journal recently recognized Amstutz as one of its Power Players: Regional Sports Networks. She was awarded Multichannel News' 40 Under 40. Additionally she helps lead the Women of FOX Sports initiative, is active in Women in Sports and Events (WISE), is on the LA Sports and Entertainment Commission's advisory board and the Southern California Golf Association marketing committee. In 2016, she was honored with the WISE Women of Inspiration Award (LA chapter) and has attended the WISE Executive Leadership Institute. She graduated from Stanford University and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

• Sarah Robb O'Hagan – Chief Executive Officer, Flywheel Sports – As chief executive officer of the fast growing indoor cycling company Flywheel Sports, Sarah Robb O'Hagan is leading the transformation of the business through digital content and services. She previously she served as global president of Gatorade, and later global president of the luxury fitness company Equinox. Robb O'Hagan has also led marketing campaigns for Virgin Atlantic Airways and the Nike team that launched the game-changing innovation Nike Plus in collaboration with Apple. Robb O'Hagan has founded a movement she calls Extreme Living and is the author of the book, Extreme You (2017). She served on Hillary Clinton's U.S. State Department Council to Empower Women and Girls through Sports and as a trustee of the Women's Sports Foundation. She also sits on the board of STRAVA – the social network for athletes. A proud Kiwi American, she is an active member of the World Class New Zealand Network. Robb O'Hagan was named one of Forbes' Most Powerful Women in Sports and one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business. She was named to the 40 Under 40 lists by the Sports Business Journal (2009, 2011 and 2012), Sports Goods Business (2010), Crain's Chicago Business (2010) and Ad Age magazine's Women to Watch (2010). In 2014 she was awarded the Sir Peter Blake Trust Award for outstanding leadership and in 2016 she was recognized in her native country with a World Class New Zealand award for leadership.

• Kim Stone – EVP and GM, AmericanAirlines Arena and the Miami HEAT – As executive vice president and general manager, Kim Stone is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the award-winning AmericanAirlines Arena. According to Pollstar Magazine's 2017 rankings, the venue remains #1 in Florida, #6 in the United States and 16^th in the world for total ticket sales. Under Stone's guidance, the arena became the world's first sports and entertainment facility to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Recertification by the U.S. Green Building Council. She also oversees business intelligence, data analytics, digital strategy and service and retention of Miami HEAT's season ticket holder base. Previously, Stone was sports publicity director for the University of Texas women's athletics department and worked at the University of North Carolina's sports information office. Venues Today named Stone a Women of Influence, and Sports Business Journal recognized her as a 2016 Game Changer and in 2017 as a Power Player in Venue Management. She was named by South Florida Business Journal in the inaugural class of Influential Business Women. Stone serves as a board member of the Miami Downtown Development Authority, University of Miami's President Council, International Association of Venue Managers and the Florida Facility Manager's Association. Her alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communications, inducted her into its Hall of Fame. She graduated with honors from the University of Miami with a master's degree in international business administration.

Click here to see a full list of WISE Women of the Year honorees from past years.

About WISE
WISE (Women in Sports and Events), is the leading voice and resource for professional women in the business of sports. Through ongoing meetings, special events, and mentoring and educational programs, WISE aims to offer its members the opportunity to gain valuable industry insights and connections that can provide them with a competitive advantage in their current position and as they advance in their careers. Founded in 1993, WISE is a national membership organization and registered 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in New York City, with chapters in Arizona, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Greater Raleigh, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, NYC Metro, Pittsburgh, San Diego, SF Bay Area, South Florida, Twin Cities, Utah and Washington, D.C. For more information on WISE, please visit WISEworks.org.

CONTACT:  
Rebecca Timms
United Entertainment Group 
(917) 595-3170
[email protected]

SOURCE Women in Sports and Events (WISE)

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