Why Skills-First Leadership Is Replacing the Ivy League Playbook in the C-Suite
05/23/2025
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The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
April 5, 2021: -Rich Paul, the sports agent famously known for representing NBA star LeBron James, has joined former Nike executives to start a minority-owned marketing and creative agency known as Adopt.
The aim is to help companies in the sports and wellness industry expand their audiences by brand marketing.
Among the Nike, Paul’s alumni partnering is David Creech, who led product and brand design for the shoe seller and Michael Jordan’s company.
Adopt will focus on brand building to better relate to athletes and consumers. An agency-marketing fee will be charged by Adopt for their services, Creech told CNBC.
Creech has worked on branding for athletes that include Tiger Woods, James, and Kobe Bryant. The design, brand, and product division of Adopt will be led by him. Nicole Graham, the former vice president of global brand marketing at Nike, will head strategy and brand, and another Nike veteran, Josh Moore, will oversee digital and design.
According to Research and Markets, the global health and wellness market was valued at $3.3 billion in 2020. By aligning with Paul, Adopt will be linked to influential sports and entertainment voices.
Paul is the CEO of the sports agency Klutch Sports Group, which operates under entertainment company United Talent Agency (UTA) following a 2019 investment. Paul was the first Blackboard member of UTA.
James is Paul’s top client, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward, who has a long relationship with Nike. James signed a lifetime contract worth over $1 billion with the company.
James and business partner Maverick Carter joined investment firm RedBird Capital Partners in purchasing a stake in Fenway Sports Group recently.
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
Loud leaders once ruled the boardroom. Charisma was currency. Big talk drove big valuations.
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