The Sports Industry Interview--United States Tennis Association

Kennedy Information lists 17 search firms in the U.S. that focus on sports. 13 are retained (big retainer fees) and 4 are contingency. Here is an interview of Gary Jacobus who has risen to the top of the sports industry (USTA, NFL, IMG). If you would like to reach Gary Jacobus, he's at jacobus@usta.com

The US Tennis Association Interview--Gary Jacobus, Managing DirectorThe United States Tennis Association (USTA) makes quite a racquet on the court. As the US governing body for the sport of tennis, the USTA sets the rules of play and develops and promotes the sport at the local and professional levels. It also owns and operates the US Open, the annual Grand Slam event held at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. In addition, the organization selects players to compete in such tournaments as the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup, and the Olympics. Founded in 1881 as the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, the USTA has grown to more than 665,000 members from all age and skill levels. 2007 Revenues--$222.9 million.

I sat down with Gary Jacobus, a good friend and classmate from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. We have known each other for 20 years. He has been for the past year the Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships, at the United States Tennis Association (USTA). He and his team are responsible for the USTA's corporate sponsorships. From 1991-2003, he was the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at NFL Properties. He was the EVP at UFood, a chain of healthy quick-serve restaurants. My recruiting firm placed him as President of Trakus, a sports technology firm, and finally he served as SVP at IMG in the '90's.

Sam: Gary, what are you doing these days?
Gary: Well, I am in charge of corporate sponsorships at the USTA. Similar to New Business Development. One of the key focal points is obviously on the U.S. Open.

Sam: How long have you been involved in hiring decisions.
Gary: Since I was a Director at the NFL in 1993-1994.

Sam: What qualities do you look for most in a candidate?
Gary: First of all, the person has to have an excellent background that matches what I am looking for. Then, more importantly, I ask myself, "Does this person/candidate fit into the company culture? Would this person have the ability to work on teams? Could this person get others to work with them. One of the things that was very noticeable at both USTA and NFL Properties was that new hires were vetted for cultural fit."

Sam: What do you look for in a recruiter?
Gary: I want a recruiter who is smart enough to understand my business and never feels he has to sell someone to me. The recruiter must understand the company culture and the fit and the type of personality required.

Sam: What was one of your biggest recruiting challenges?
Gary: When I was President of Trakus, a sports technology firm, 90% of the employees were engineers. 10% were business people. It was hard to get the right business person who could get along with and motivate the engineers.

Sam: Any advice you want to give recruiters?Gary: The recruiter has to qualify his prospects. S/he should be bringing me 3-4 hirable candidates. The rest is personality fit.

Sam: Thanks for your time!