USA Track & Field’s board of directors has selected Max Siegel to serve as CEO, President and Chair Stephanie Hightower announced April 23.
The board voted unanimously to hire Siegel after two CEO searches that took place over the course of 16 months. He becomes the fourth CEO in the organization’s history when he assumes his duties on May 1.
“The search for our next CEO was a process that we believe will fundamentally change USA Track & Field,” Hightower said. “It forced our board to put into focus what our greatest needs and priorities are. And in the end, it brought us an executive in Max Siegel who blends a knowledge of our sport and its political considerations with an impressive record of success in the broader sports and entertainment markets.”
“I am honored by the opportunity to serve as USA Track & Field’s CEO,” Siegel said. “Since I first got involved with USATF in 2009, I have been passionate about the potential for financial growth and mainstream cultural visibility.
Working in various executive capacities in the sports and entertainment fields over the last 20 years, Siegel’s track record has consistently been that of financial growth and competitive success.
He previously served as President of Global Operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he sold tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship; and as Senior Vice President at Sony/BMG and as President of Zomba Gospel, Tommy Boy Gospel and Verity Records, where he led one of the most profitable divisions in the Sony BMG system. As a music executive, he increased top- line revenue and reduced expenses to yield unprecedented profit in the gospel industry. He was part of the executive team overseeing the careers of stars such as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher.
The owner of Rev Racing, Siegel took NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and advanced it from a fledging effort to add diversity to the sport into a competitive juggernaut on the racetrack. In 2011, his team’s drivers won 50 percent of all races on the K&N Pro Series East circuit, NASCAR’s top developmental circuit.
The first African-American to graduate with honors from Notre Dame law school, Siegel is a native of Indianapolis and resides in the city.