Scholar Profiles

SCHOLAR

PROFILES

Listed in alphabetical order by last name

Six sports and fitness professionals have been named to the class of 2018 Future Industry Leaders Scholarship Program. This competitive, application-based scholarship provides complimentary SFIA Industry Leaders Summit registration and is an unmatched learning and networking opportunity for young, aspiring individuals in the industry. Eligible applicants were required to be under 40 years of age, currently work for an SFIA corporate or non-profit member company and have ambitious hopes of holding a C-level executive position within the sports and fitness industry. All applicants were asked to provide their vision for the future of the sports and fitness industry and how they intend to contribute to that vision. This year’s class includes:

Jordan Buchsbaum

Sports Marketing Manager, Under Armour

As a lifelong athlete and avid fan of all things sport and adventure, Jordan feels very fortunate to be a member of this ever-growing industry and community. She has the spent the last five years with Under Armour and Adidas, in a few difference facets— sales, marketing and product. Jordan’s experience has led her to believe that sport—whether it be competitive, recreational or entertainment—brings the world together. As a Los Angeles native, she was eager to settle in a location that emphasized outdoor activity, and her current home of Denver presents the perfect physical and social surrounding to lead an active lifestyle. Depending on the season, Jordan spends her free time trail running, rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, camping and backpacking.

Doug Buser

Senior Director, Marketing & Business Development, Volt Athletics

Doug Buser is the Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development for Volt Athletics in Seattle, WA. An experienced director with a successful track record of implementing internal and external communications strategies, Doug started his career in crisis management, working for BP during the Deepwater Horizon incident. Doug has honed his leadership skills in both large corporate and small boutique environments across a variety of industries, including healthcare, politics, travel and now, sports tech. Doug joined the Volt team in 2014 as Volt’s Communications Manager, and now oversees Volt’s marketing, sales, support and business development departments. A native of San Francisco, Doug played college baseball at the University of Oklahoma and later Seattle University, where he earned a degree in Communications.

Ben Connery

Director, Specialty Sports, BSN Sports

Ben Connery always knew he wanted a career in sports. Upon discovering lacrosse – a sport he could play professionally – he considered life as a professional athlete, but the salary of a lacrosse player didn’t suffice. While studying Sports Management at Ithaca College, he decided to follow in a family friend’s footsteps, and started his career in the sports industry with New Balance. Ben earned an MBA from Ithaca and started working at a lacrosse specialty team dealer in NY. From there, he went on to work for BSN Sports as a Sales Professional, and in 2014, moved to Dallas to lead the Lacrosse Division. The division has performed well and Ben has been given the opportunity to head some emerging and strategic sports opportunities since moving to BSN Headquarters.

Michael Lysaught

Strategic Account Manager, SKLZ

Michael Lysaught, born and raised in Australia, has been living in the USA for the past 3 years. Growing up in Australia, he was always very active and competitive. Baseball has always been Michael’s passion, and in 2003, he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. After ending his baseball career, he pursued a career in the sporting goods industry in Australia, working as a distributor for Easton Baseball/Softball and SKLZ for several years, which eventually lead him back to the USA. In 2015, he relocated to Southern California, to accept a job with SKLZ, where he currently resides with his beloved wife.

Karen Menez

Director of Communications, ASICS America

Karen Menez is the Director of Communications for ASICS America, overseeing all external, internal, corporate social responsibility and brand communication initiatives across the ASICS performance and lifestyle portfolios. She is also the cofounder and leader of the ASICS Women’s Collective, a group dedicated to empowering, guiding and developing employees across the organization. Karen started her career in the communications department at Sports Illustrated, where she served as a lead publicist executing communications campaigns across all of the Sports Illustrated Group franchises. A native of Wisconsin, who spent a decade in New York City, Karen lives with her husband and two children in Austin, Texas. She is an avid runner, SoulCycle addict and early morning boot camp enthusiast. She believes strongly in the power of positive thought and balancing career, family and fitness.

Gabe Nagelkirk

Senior Product Manager, Xenith

Gabe Nagelkirk, a lifelong football enthusiast, eagerly seized the opportunity to serve as the Senior Product Manager at Xenith. The company provides a start-up culture, great people and ample opportunity, so it didn’t take much convincing in his book. Born and raised in Holland, MI, Gabe earned a bachelor’s in international business from Cornerstone University and began his career in the furniture industry at Haworth. However, the menial everyday tasks did not live up to his standards. So, he quickly started working his way up within Haworth’s Distribution department to find better opportunities. Eventually, after numerous moves and promotions, Gabe discovered Xenith, and quickly made the transition from the furniture world to the sports world.