Melynda Pilon / National Hockey League
It took a 10-hour Greyhound bus ride in 2007 for Allison Eddy Sollazzo to land her first opportunity in professional sports. Then a student at the University of Wisconsin, Eddy Sollazzo was enjoying spring break in St. Simons Island, Ga., when the Miami Dolphins asked if she could be in South Florida in two days for an interview.
The internship she earned led to her first full-time job in sports when she graduated two years later. She later joined Dolphins CEO Mike Dee in moving to the San Diego Padres before landing in her current role overseeing club business development at the NHL.
Allison Eddy Sollazzo
Vice President, Club Business Development, National Hockey League
Age: 37
Born: Minneapolis
Education: University of Wisconsin, BBA, business and journalism
Family: Spouse, Ryan; children, Zoey (2.5), Ava (6 months)
Advice to my 20-year-old self: Authenticity always wins.
How I deal with stress in the workplace: Find someone to laugh with.
Cause supported: Big Brothers Big Sisters.
App I use most: Messages.
First social media platform I signed up for: Myspace!
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: Bob Iger.
Most pivotal decision in my career: Moving cross-country for my first role out of college. It set everything in motion and led to some incredibly rewarding life milestones.
Sports business leaders should be more mindful of … : Providing a cross-functional lens on the business. Everything is related to everything.
Most pressing issue facing my generation is … : The volume of priorities competing for people’s time and attention.
The common thread running through Eddy Sollazzo’s career has been developing and implementing new business initiatives. In Miami, it was building an integrated advertising platform that allowed the Dolphins to more efficiently manage their media inventory. In San Diego, it was the creation of loyalty programs for Padres fans.
At the NHL, Eddy Sollazzo has helped the league roll out new types of commercial inventory that have driven substantial revenue, including virtual on-ice branding, helmet decals, jersey patches and digitally enhanced dasherboard technology.
For each development, Eddy Sollazzo has ensured the league’s 32 clubs are all well-positioned to implement the assets and optimize revenue.
“The NHL clubs and revenue leads that we work with are family,” she said. “We put time and effort into fostering those relationships. That trust and sense of community comes with sharing and being comfortable telling us what their challenges are. In return, like when any friend asks for help, you use whatever resources you have to help them.” — Alex Silverman
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