(Philadelphia, Pa. - The Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), a sports business think tank housed within the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, today announced that it has named Derrick Heggans as its first-ever Managing Director. Heggans, who has held senior leadership positions at AOL Sports and Collegiate Images and previously served as in-house counsel for the National Football League, began his position on April 15. He will be responsible for running the daily activities and executing the long-term strategy for what is fast becoming the leadership center for strategic thought and successful business planning in the sports industry.
“Today is an important day not just for the Wharton School and WSBI, but for our industry overall, as Derrick assumes this new position,” said Ken Shropshire, WSBI founder and professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School. “His leadership skills and ability to take existing properties with solid infrastructure and growth potential and provide strategic and operational guidance is exactly what we need at this juncture, and we believe that those qualities will help us reach the full potential of what we have begun here.”
“I have long admired Ken and his vision for WSBI, and am flattered and excited for the opportunity to work with a friend and mentor,” Heggans said. “This position will give me the ability to combine my experience with my passion for high level thought of the future of the business of sport, and help guide WSBI, with the resources of arguably the best business school in the world, through the next stage of its growth and development as it becomes the epicenter of thought for all matters related to the business of sports.”
Heggans assumes the role while continuing his year-old business, Heggans and Company Enterprises (H.A.C.E.), a sports and media consultancy whose current clients include: “T-Time Productions, for whom he serves as consultant and Executive Producer for “Third and Long,” a documentary about the history of African American professional football players scheduled for a national television debut in February of 2011; smart phone mobile solutions provider XCO SportsLink; and former tennis star Chanda Rubin, for whom he serves as business advisor. Prior to starting his own practice, the Washington, D.C. native was General Manager of AOL Sports, and was responsible for the revamping and rebranding of the platform into Fanhouse.com, one of the most vibrant and entertaining digital sports properties today. Prior to joining AOL in 2005, he was Chief Executive Officer of Collegiate Images, held significant legal and business affairs roles at the National Football League and served as a Client Manager in the Basketball Division of Advantage Int'l. A well acknowledged leader in the global field of sports and entertainment marketing, he was recognized by The Sports Business Journal in 2009 as one of its prestigious “Forty Under 40,” honoring the top business executives in the field under 40 years of age. He has also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University.
Shropshire will continue his involvement in the program as Faculty Director and will assume a role similar to that of the Chair of WSBI, providing vision as well as guidance for the overall direction for the program, capitalizing on his extensive industry contacts and 30 years of experience in the sports and business academic space.
ABOUT WSBI
The Wharton Sports Business Initiative examines the sports industry in the same manner that financial institutions, manufacturing or the real estate industries are traditionally explored at major business schools. Wharton is uniquely positioned with its breadth of faculty to serve as a leader for the examination and implementation of best practices and future business models in this arena.
Many sports industry practices may be ‘suboptimal’
The Initiative is located in the Wharton School’s Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, where a major focus of the faculty’s work is on social responsibility in business. WSBI also resides at Wharton | San Francisco and in conjunction with Wharton’s relationships with INSEAD business school in France and Singapore and the Indian School of Business.
Additionally, WSBI provides customized business education programs for athletes, sports entities, sports business executives, managers and staff to develop and deliver customized executive education.
For more information visit http://wsb.wharton.upenn.edu/
About the Wharton School
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school — is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The School has more than 4,900 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of 85,000 graduates.
