Friday, March 17, 2017

The third “Women in Sports” career seminar, presented by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, will be held on Sat., April 8 in Portland, Ore.

Designed for college and high school females interested in pursuing sports-related careers, the seminar will take place at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum.

The event will feature panelists from a broad cross-section of occupational paths, including coaching, administration, business, marketing, media, media relations, NCAA compliance, sports medicine, ticket sales and officiating. Attendees will have an opportunity to interact with — and seek career advice from — a slate of experienced sports professionals in a round-table format.

Below is a profile on a panelist who will be featured at this year's event.

MERRYN ROBERTS-HUNTLEY, FIXX CONSULTING
Position: Owner of FIXX Consulting
Colleges Attended: McGill University; University of Oregon
College Major: Sociology; Sports Business
Years In Current Position: 7 Years

Primary Job Responsibilities: FIXX Consulting is a sports-focused marketing strategy and business development consulting firm. I'm responsible for leading all projects.

Things You Enjoy Most About Your Job: I love working with different sports companies and having the ability to help them solve business challenges. No two days or two projects are the same.

Why Did You Pursue A Professional Career In The Athletics Industry: I grew up playing sports and received great advice from my father when I was in high school which was to try to turn my passion into my career.

First Job In The Sports Industry: Marketing associate for Major League Soccer.

A Key Mentor Who Helped You On Your Career Path: Jodi Sittig. Jodi was my first boss at Nike. She not only helped me get into Nike,  but helped me get into a great department and guided my journey during my time with the brand.

Most Influential Person In Your Early Professional Development: My dad, 100 percent. My dad helped me realize that my dream of working in sports could be a reality. After 10 years working for various sports companies, he also gave me the confidence to start my own firm.

Biggest Hurdle You Overcame Breaking Into The Sports Industry: Being Canadian. Getting 'in' to the U.S. sports industry is challenging due to immigration laws. After my time in MLS in the U.S., I returned to Canada to work in the industry for a few more years before pursuing my graduate degree in the U.S., which ended up giving me an in to Nike.

Key Attributes That Have Helped Shape Your Career Path: Determination, hard work, belief in myself, communication skills and teamwork skills.

Looking Back, What Is One Thing That You Would Do In College Or Early On To Help You Along Your Career Path? I wish I had done a semester abroad. I was born in England and raised in Canada, but I have never studied or lived aboard (with the exception of when I was a child). The industry is truly global so an immersion into another cultural truly would have benefited me.

Best Advice You Would Give To A Young Female Wanting To Work In Sports: Know who you are and what you want, and make it difficult for people to say no. Remove barriers that might make people not give you a chance (i.e. work for free, meet them whenever they are available, etc.).

Favorite Sports Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Favorite Athlete: Too many to choose! Mia Hamm, Steffi Graf, Allyson Felix.

Most Memorable Sports-Related Moment: It's a tossup between working the Beijing Olympics for Nike or watching Wimbledon live.