Marlins promote Caroline O’Connor to president

By James On Nov 14, 2022

MIAMI (AP) — Caroline O’Connor didn’t know her ceiling when she entered the world of sports business, simply because there were so few examples of women who walked her path.

It turns out that she had no limit.

The Miami Marlins promoted O’Connor to president of business operations on Monday, becoming the first major US sports franchise to have women simultaneously serve as president and general manager. The Marlins made history by hiring Kim Ng as general manager in November 2020; two years later, they have made another significant move.

“When I talk to young girls, I really like to be seen in my role because I didn’t feel like I had that role model,” O’Connor said. “And I want people to see themselves when they see me and know that it’s a possibility.”

O’Connor is only the second woman to serve as president of a Major League Baseball team; Seattle’s Catie Griggs is the other. She was brought to the Marlins by then-CEO Derek Jeter in 2017 as a senior vice president and chief of staff, then she became the team’s director of operations in 2019.

Ng runs the business on the field, O’Connor runs the business off the field.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Caroline’s business acumen and vision leading our day-to-day business operations,” said Marlins President and Principal Owner Bruce Sherman. “Her passion for her and her drive for her success is unmatched in our game and in the South Florida market. Her leadership will continue to guide the Marlins organization toward our goal of sustained success as she strategizes additional startups to grow our business and enhance our brand recognition.”

O’Connor’s path to this place was somewhat inadvertent. She was a high school athlete in New Jersey (she played basketball, tennis, soccer, and softball) and she went to college at Rutgers and New York University, first studying computers and then finance.

He worked for some powerful places: IBM, UBS Investment Bank, Morgan Stanley. She wasn’t thinking of a career in sports.

And then Jeter called.

“A once in a lifetime opportunity,” O’Connor said.

He has been with the Marlins ever since.

Miami has been trying to shake things up, on and off the field, for the better part of the last two decades. Jeter was part of the ownership group that took over in 2017; he’s gone, but two of his most important employees, Ng and O’Connor, are now tasked with finishing the job.

O’Connor has seen progress. Attendance last season was up 12% from 2019, the last time there was a full season of baseball without pandemic disruption or major restrictions, though there’s still a long way to go before Miami gets the crowd it needs. search.

O’Connor has overseen the growth in season ticket sales. With the 2023 World Baseball Classic coming to Miami for all three rounds in March, including the championship game, the Marlins know big crowds are coming. O’Connor is obsessed with how to get those people back as Marlins customers.

“I think it’s a really special place,” he said. “And I would say if we didn’t feel so convinced about this market and the opportunity that’s here, we wouldn’t be as excited to come every day. I think we have so many people in this market who love entertainment, love sports, love baseball, love to meet up and go out. It’s just trying to create an experience that appeals to everyone.”

The increasing role of women in baseball leadership is not lost on O’Connor. Griggs leads the Mariners; Laura Day is Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer for Minnesota; Kellie Fischer has a similar role in Texas, as the Rangers’ executive vice president and chief financial officer.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky because I’ve had a lot of support from a lot of different people, regardless of gender, throughout my career,” Griggs said earlier this year on a panel at Seattle University. “That being said, I haven’t been able to see many people who look like me doing the things I do. … I don’t have many role models.”

O’Connor feels the same way. She doesn’t care for the “pioneer” description. She simply goes through all the details of her job, including sitting down with community groups and civic organizations, even having lunch last month with the Consul General of Japan at his Miami residence, knowing that her success now could make it easier for women to follow her. . .

“It takes a real community to support me,” O’Connor said. “The team that I work with today, the team that supports me every day, I feel like this is a reflection of all of them and what we have produced together. I may have the title, but of course I think of all the people who help me achieve it.