The Assembly 2025 Agenda

Monday - June 16 - Arrive in Austin

3:00 PM - Host Committee Meeting

5:30 PM - Salon Dinners around Austin

6:00 PM - Governing Board Meeting

7:30 PM - Host Committee and Governing Board Dinner

9:00 PM - Hospitality Suite Opens

Tuesday - June 17

Get ready for a power-packed day designed to inspire and energize! We kick things off with a deep dive into the evolving landscape of sports ownership, led by Goldman Sachs, spotlighting how private equity and diverse investors are reshaping the game. Then, shift into high gear with an interactive workshop on leading high-performance teams that will leave you rethinking how you build the future with your people. After lunch and key organizational updates at our Annual Membership Meeting, choose your own adventure with dynamic breakout sessions—whether it’s VP Circle case challenges, industry trends, or hands-on working groups. Cap off the day with a stylish Welcome Reception and the Medal of Leadership Celebration, honoring trailblazers who are elevating the industry and redefining what it means to lead like a PRO.

8:00 AM - Breakfast & Registration Open presented by Real Response

9:00 AM - Welcome and Introductions

The Banker’s Role 

9:15 AM - Partnering to Drive Value: From Ownership Transactions and Structures to Infrastructure Financing Discussion with Goldman Sachs
To set the level, Goldman Sachs will lead a conversation on their learnings around Ownership Dynamics where we will be invited to examine how evolving ownership models, including the expansion of private equity stakes are shaping sports organizations. And, as ownership diversifies, new perspectives enter the industry yet the role of minority owners and how they may (or may not) shape culture and operations depends on organizational goals. As leaders, charged with achieving organizational goals and challenged to keep investors aligned, this discussion will help with your thinking on balancing financial priorities with value drivers such as organizational culture and community impact.

Featuring:
     • Stacy Sonnenberg, Managing Director, Head of Global Sports Finance
     • Dave Dase, Head of the Southeast Region, Global Co Head of Sports

10:45 AM - Workshop: Leading High-Performance Teams with Novus-Global featuring C-Suite Circle Cohort/Alumni
As humans, we each walk through life, navigating the world based on our unique perspectives which becomes quite the kaleidoscope of perspectives when working with a team. When we look toward the future, we often plan based on the past, repeating patterns we've always known. But there is another way. What if you could shape the future from a bold, inspiring
vision of what's possible? Imagine the power of working together, as a team, to create alignment and forge agreements that build a picture of a future that brings a new sense of energy to the team — a future that reduces frustration and inefficiencies, and leads to a team getting more done, in less time, with greater satisfaction.

Featuring:
     • Kristen Frade, Partner
     • Lori Krueger, Executive Coach
     • Garland Hunt Jr., Executive Coach

12:15 PM - Lunch

1:30 PM - PRO Leadership in Action
From the Advisory and Governing Board to Committee and Member Resource Group Chairs, everything at PRO is brought
to life by members, for members.

Featuring:
     • Executive Committee
     • Committee Leaders
     • Member Resource Group Leaders 

Pam Frasco
Vice President of Social Impact & Equity and Director of the Cavs Foundation for the Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

Chris Granger
President, OVG 360
for Oak View Group

Todd Taylor
President of Business Operations
for Pacers Sports & Entertainment

Sheila Sickau
Senior Marketing Manager – Football Development for the Kansas City Chiefs

9:00 PM - Hospitality Suite Opens 

Wednesday - June 18

This day is all about unlocking the numbers, navigating ownership dynamics, and elevating your leadership game. We’ll kick off with a behind-the-scenes look at how Forbes values sports teams—including what matters most (and what doesn’t) when it comes to your club’s financial worth. Then, roll up your sleeves for a hands-on workshop to reimagine the valuation model for today’s evolving sports landscape. After lunch, we dive into the complex relationship between owners and operators, and how elite leadership teams align strategy from the boardroom to the playing field. The day caps off with an exclusive leadership workshop led by Robert Kaplan of Goldman Sachs, offering tools to think like an owner, communicate vision, and lead with clarity and confidence.

8:00 AM - Breakfast & Registration Open presented by Bloombase

The Valuator’s Role

9:00 AM - Welcome and Reflection on Day 1

9:15 AM - A Peek Behind the Curtain on Team Valuations
The Forbes valuation team will provide a peek behind the curtain on sports team valuations. From what goes into the valuation (and what doesn't), how teams can differentiate themselves, who they talk to as part of the process, how team sales impact the process each year (both within the league andoutside the league), and how difficult it must be to rank the clubs (how do you distinguish between teams 25 to 30 in MLS, for instance). It would also be interesting to learn about how you see the value for some of the emerging and lower division leagues, that don't traditionally get published, with so much interest in purchasing sports teams and investing in new leagues.

Featuring:
     • Justin Birnbaum, Staff Writer, Forbes
     • Justin Teitelbaum, Sports Data Analyst, Forbes

10:45 AM - Workshop:  A Valuation Model Make-Over
Now that we've gained insights, we will have an opportunity to dive into the model and how it could evolve by exploring: 

• What’s missing?
• What’s over/under valued? 
• What’s coming down the pike?
• Valuations for women’s teams & leagues
• What’s the valuation of my team? Does that jive?

12:00 PM - Lunch Break

The Owner/Operator’s Role

1:00 PM - From Boardroom to the Field of Play: How the Best Owners and Operators Align
The growth of private equity and increased emergence of multi-sport ownership groups has shifted the sports landscape from the boardroom to the field of play.The demands placed on leaders between traditional ownership and investor models compared to an evolving investor-owner model requires flexible leadership capable of aligning investor expectations, communicating effectively within new owner-operator relations, and successfully managing in all directions of the enterprise. Alignment is key in determining shared commitments, but leaders in sport business must be adept at dissecting the elements needed to create effective owner and operator governance to maintain the focus on key business priorities.

Featuring:
     • Catie Griggs, President of Business Operations, Baltimore Orioles
     • Emma Rodriguez- Ayala - CAO, Ariel Capitol, Project Level

2:30 PM - Workshop: Reaching Your Leadership Potential with Robert S. Kaplan, Partner and Vice Chair, Goldman Sachs
How do the best leaders consistently grow and adapt? In this engaging 90-minute workshop, Robert Kaplan—Partner and Vice Chairman at Goldman Sachs, investor in the Kansas City Royals, and former President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas—will provide a high-impact framework to help you unlock your full leadership potential.Through candid insights, real-world examples, and interactive discussion, Kaplan will explore: 

• Thinking & Acting Like an Owner – Developing an ownership mindset to make high-impact decisions 

• Communicating a Clear Vision & Strategy – The keys to articulating and executing big-picture goals

• Understanding & Managing Yourself – Enhancing self-awareness, resilience, and decision-making

• Developing Your Leadership Style – Identifying strengths and shaping your leadership approach

This session is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the most respected voices in leadership and finance. Whether you’re leading a team, managing high-stakes decisions, or navigating ownership dynamics, this workshop will challenge and elevate your leadership game.

4:00 PM - Recognition & Wrap Up

5:30 PM - Optional Dinner

Thursday - June 19 - Depart Austin