NWSL
The NWSL was in a very different place in 2019 when Meaghan Sullivan left her comfortable accounting job at the country’s largest provider of dredging services (then a profitable $712 million-a-year business) to join the league as its director of finance. Then a nine-team league with less than a dozen employees, the NWSL was an all-hands-on-deck operation.
“My first championship, about two months after I started, I was literally helping carry things into the stadium, helping work the fan fest,” Sullivan recalled. “Everyone was doing everything because they were excited to be there and wanted to see the league succeed.”
Six months after her transition, COVID-19 stopped the sports industry, and Sullivan’s wife gave birth to twins. Amid the chaos, Sullivan played a key role in making the NWSL the first North American sports league to resume play with the 2020 Challenge Cup, securing a $1.9 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program and ensuring the league had the finances necessary to put on the event.
“Getting us through 2020 and reforecasting on a daily or weekly basis to get us through that year despite everything — it had been one of our best years on record to that point with new sponsors — was huge,” Sullivan said.
Since then, Sullivan has been a critical behind-the-scenes player in major growth milestones. She worked closely with Inner Circle Sports to develop the financial projections that served as the framework of the league’s two record-setting $53 million expansion fees last year. She also performed the financial modeling needed to help secure four-year media rights deals worth a combined $240 million (including rights fee, production costs and marketing commitments).
Now, as one of the hottest properties in sports, expectations for the NWSL are higher than ever. Sullivan has the league in a position to deliver. — Alex Silverman
Meaghan Sullivan
Vice President, Finance, National Women’s Soccer League
Age: 40 (turned 40 this spring)
Born: Chicago
Education: Miami University, bachelor’s degree, accounting
Family: Spouse, Robyn Bockrath; children, Maeve (6), twins Jack and Alice (4), Betty (dog, 9)
Advice to my 20-year-old self: You can’t be good at everything. Everyone has a different superpower. Focus on and develop yours.
What my friends/family think I do all day: Type numbers into a calculator or taxes.
How I deal with stress in the workplace: I find that exercise, quality time with my family and therapy help me stay “present” while at work, which helps with stress levels.
Cause supported: Brave Space Alliance.
App I use most: Adobe Lightroom.
First social media platform I signed up for: The Facebook.
Social media platform I use/follow the most today: Instagram.
Sports business leaders should be more mindful of … : Not letting employees’ passion take the place of development, compensation and wellness.
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