A recent study conducted by EY Women Athletes Business Network and espnW shows 94% of women in leadership positions have participated in athletics, and C-suite women are more likely than average to say that a candidate’s background in sport influences their hiring decision. Fortune Magazine recently listed the top 9 Fortune 500 athletes-turned-CEOs, along with the correlation between participating in sports and becoming a high-performing business leader.

MoreMany C-Suite leaders grew up playing sports and have applied the principles learned in athletics to their careers. Athletes know that while each game will result in a win or loss, it doesn’t determine the outcome of their entire career. They strategize, practice and train for each game, working as a team toward a common goal every time. When we apply these principles to our businesses, we ensure each employee is working just as hard as their colleagues to reach the desired outcome. Winning is a big reward and a payoff for hard work and sacrifice, but it’s ultimately the lessons learned along the way that lead us to each new victory.

Our guest this week is Michael Williams, Chief Marketing Officer at Grand Prix of America, Formula 1. Michael is known throughout the industry as a passionate marketer and enthusiastic brand storyteller. Throughout his career, he has succeeded in helping sports brands, like the New Jersey Devils and the San Francisco 49ers, pinpoint their focus, expand their footprint and emotionally connect with fans. A former high school and college athlete, Michael says sports allows employees and executives to work better as a team and recognize how each person’s strengths can come together to support a shared passion within the organization. Each company’s story is full of wins and losses, but it’s the understanding that failures are inevitable with each success that encourages risk-taking, creativity and world-changing ideas.

At the C-Suite Network Conference in Marina del Rey, Michael will share with a room full of top C-level executives how to best tell their brand’s story and emotionally connect with customers. One of the biggest problems facing C-Suite leaders, Michael says, is placing their company’s focus on the wrong thing. Understanding what their company is really offering the marketplace and what it truly represents will help leaders better understand what kind of story they want to tell.

When we think of some of the most successful and widely known companies, we easily recite their jingles and slogans and can quickly identify their logos. These small components add up to the bigger picture: the message of the brand and the story it tells. Starbucks isn’t just about coffee, just as Apple isn’t only focused on computers. It’s the emotional connection these brands are able to make with consumers, along with understanding that while the product may be great, it isn’t what makes the brand truly memorable. It’s that special something that creatively conveys the story of the company to customers that keeps them coming back. Delivering outstanding customer experiences and finding those opportunities to personally engage with people creates real loyalty. When C-Suite leaders truly understand the focus of their brands, they are better able to engage consumers and create a business that becomes an integral part of people’s lives.

Now that we’ve delivered a crash-course in marketing, it’s up to C-Suite leaders to recognize the value of creating real connections with customers and telling the story of their brands most effectively. A strong team full of players with different skills who enthusiastically work together toward each victory will grow their organizations. A game plan will set the tone for the future of your business, and a compelling story will keep customers engaged through change and creative risk taking.
Michael Williams

Michael Williams, Chief Marketing Officer at the Grand Prix of America, Formula 1, is widely known throughout the industry as a driven leader with a passion for truly great marketing. Michael is an energetic “Brand Storyteller†with a hallmark career that has been grounded in building and defining brands that leave an indelible imprint. Michael has been fortunate to have worked for some of the most admired brands in the world. In his current role, Williams is responsible for running the general business operations for the Grand Prix of America including all sales and marketing matters, event programming, customer experience and engagement, as well as establishing the brand position and strategic business model that will guarantee long term growth for the Grand Prix and Formula 1 in North America and throughout the world. Follow him on Twiiter @m_p_williams.

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