Professional Sports Team Summit
Speaker Biographies
ANDREA FAIRCHILD
VISA – SVP, Global Sponsorship Strategy
Andrea Fairchild, is the SVP, Global Sponsorship Strategy where she is responsible for leading Visa’s global sponsorship portfolio, including Olympics and Paralympics, FIFA and the NFL. Her focus is to deliver VISA’s brand, product and client objectives, in order to drive business and brand outcomes. She has held previous roles throughout the sports industry with Nike, Gatorade and Kobe Inc.
CHRISTINE BLAKE
CARDINAL CREDIT UNION - CEO
Christine Blake has more than thirty years of banking and financial experience and is currently president and CEO of Cardinal Credit Union, the not-for-profit financial cooperative serving Northeast Ohio, since August 2010. Under her leadership, Cardinal Credit Union has grown into a twelve-branch system with over $300 million in assets. With a strong commitment to financial education, Cardinal has partnerships in the community through its six high school-based branches where students learn money management skills through a curriculum created by Cardinal. Cardinal’s educational programs were recognized as recipients of two Des Jardins awards for youth and adult financial education. Blake’s leadership also was instrumental in Cardinal receiving a “Top Workplaces” award for three consecutive years and in becoming the official credit union of the Cleveland Browns for the past two years. Christine currently serves as a director on the Velera (formerly PSCU) and the EPCOR Board of Directors. Previously appointed by the governor of Ohio, Christine also served as the chairman of the Ohio Credit Union League. She supported more than 300 credit unions as an advocate for regulatory change and a steward for educational and professional development. Before joining Cardinal, Christine was a senior manager and CPA at KPMG and an adjunct professor at Lakeland Community College. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace University. Blake resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio with her husband and three children.
RYAN MYERS
Velera (Advisors Plus) – Sr. Vice President
Ryan Myers is currently a Senior Vice President at Velera responsible for its Advisors Plus consulting business, which has helped clients optimize payment portfolios for several years with industry leading knowledge and expansive marketing capabilities. Ryan is passionate about elevating the performance of community financial institutions through the Advisors Plus brand by connecting them with experts in credit and deposit products, fraud, digital banking, FinTech partnerships, and more. Ryan most recently served as the Chief Innovation Officer of a startup in the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry designing innovative lending solutions on behalf of banks and credit unions. Prior to this role, he was a consultant at Cornerstone Advisors where he facilitated strategic planning and led large engagements specializing in operational efficiency and financial technology. Previously, Ryan managed consumer products and loan strategy teams at Bank of America for 12 years. He earned his MBA and M.S. in Information Management from the W.P. Carey School of Business as well as a B.S. in Computer Science at Arizona State University.
TIM MARTIN
Gallagher Marketing Agency - Founder & Managing Principal
Tim Martin is founder and Managing Principal of Gallagher Marketing Agency, a boutique partnership marketing agency servicing brand clients across a myriad industries to help effectively and efficiently drive their partnership marketing investments. Over the course of a 20+ year career in sponsorship marketing, Martin has worked for clients in industries from beer, to banking, to butt wipes. Immediately prior to launching GMA 2012, he was Vice Presenting of Sponsorships for PNC Bank.
LEXIE SIDNEY
Genesco Sports Enterprises - Sr. Director, Corporate Consulting
Lexie Sidney has over a decade of experience in professional sports across partnerships, marketing and community relations. Her experience spans roles in the NFL, NBA, MLB and MLS/NWSL and agency work.
As a Sr. Director of Corporate Consulting with Genesco Sport Enterprises (GSE), she currently manages a client roster negotiating & activating league and club partnership deals, as well as local naming rights and patch partnerships. Prior to joining GSE, Lexie held a variety of positions with professional teams. She oversaw the Partnership Marketing team for the Detroit Lions, and held Marketing positions with the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Dynamo and Dash and Atlanta Braves.
A native of Indianapolis, and proud Indiana University alumna, Lexie now resides in the Washington DC area with her husband, daughters and rescue pup.
STEVE WEINSTEIN
WEWS Cleveland – Vice President & General Manager
Steve is currently the Vice President and General Manager at WEWS in Cleveland and has worked for Scripps in various capacities including Vice President and General Manager of KERO/KZKC duopoly in Bakersfield, CA, News Director at KJRH in Tulsa OK, and News Operations Manager at WMAR in Baltimore. He began his career as a commercial production videographer at WBFF in Baltimore and joined their news department as a photojournalist several years later. He ascended to the Chief Photographer for his first leadership opportunity.
Steve has won multiple Emmy Awards for news photography, producing and most recently Station Excellence. He has been named one of Radio and Television Business Report’s top 20 local TV leaders for two years in a row. Steve and his team have been the television partner with the Cleveland Browns for the past 10 seasons.
Janet Brumfield
CEO and Founder/IdealPR+
Janet Brumfield is the founder and CEO of Ideal PR+, a boutique public relations firm specializing in amplifying brands through impactful, results-driven strategies. Before launching her firm, Janet led corporate communications for Verizon’s global business unit for over a decade, where she played a pivotal role in shaping and enhancing the company’s reputation.
With deep expertise in PR strategy, campaign planning, and integrated communications, Janet has collaborated with some of the world’s most respected brands, including DSW, Shell Chemical Company, Stanley Steemer, and CompuServe. Known for her innovative approach and unwavering commitment to excellence, Janet consistently challenges conventional thinking to drive visibility and growth for her clients, delivering creative solutions tailored to their unique goals.
Tom Wyatt
Sr. Director of Corporate Partnerships,
Cleveland Browns & Haslam Sports Group
Tom Wyatt is a 20-year Sponsorship Industry professional who has been involved in the creation, ideation and negotiation of more than $250 million in total sponsorship campaigns across the NFL, NBA and global touring properties such as the UFC and Feld Entertainment. He consistently focuses on generating sponsorships that integrate his clients into the consumer experience of the properties he works for, to help drive client goals, metrics and KPI’s for success. Tom received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, has an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University and resides in Grosse Ile, MI with his wife and three beautiful children.