Monday, December 8, 2014

Latest in a series

The second annual “Women in Sports” career seminar, presented by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, will be held Saturday, Jan. 24 in Portland, Ore.

Designed for college and high school females interested in pursuing sports-related careers, the seminar will take place in the Georgia Pacific Room at 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. In addition, the seminar will include a "professional development segment" and networking reception presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

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

Anna Geiger, Red Bull
Field Marketing Manager 

College attended: University of Oregon

College major: Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Business

Current position: Field Marketing Manager - Oregon, Red Bull

Years in current position: 2 weeks

Things I enjoy most about my job: The people! Everyone is so much fun to work with -- we're like a family.

First job in the sports industry: I interned with the Portland Timbers & Portland Beavers in the marketing department during the summer of 2007.

Previous jobs in the sports industry: Adidas - Brand Marketing - Global Basketball Digital Marketing - Women's Training Brand Communications & Digital Marketing (North America)

A key mentor who helped me on my career path: Whitney Wagoner. She gave me hands-on experience through our sports business club at UO and put in a good word for me with the right people at Adidas.

Most influential person in my early professional development: I had the pleasure of working with many passionate people at Adidas and each of them has influenced me. Britt Jorgenson, our former Director of Brand Marketing, taught me to always come to the table with an opinion and/or solution, no matter who's at the table. It's crucial to have the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management.

How I got involved in my professional career: I always knew I wanted to work in sports so I maximized my time at UO and took advantage of the resources there. I had a couple unpaid internships and served on the leadership committee for the UO Sports Business Club. These experiences gave me something to talk about when I had the opportunity to meet people from the companies I was interested in working for.

Biggest hurdle I overcame breaking into the sports industry: It's always tough to break through the hundreds of applicants for the jobs you're interested in. I put in a lot of time gaining hands-on experience so I had more to put on my resume and talk about in interviews 

Key attributes that have helped shape my career path: Passion, persistence, attention to detail, relationship management.

Best advice I’d give to a young female wanting to work in sports: Be yourself. Be relentless. Challenge yourself even if no one else does. Love what you do and do what you love.

Favorite sports team: Oregon Ducks

Favorite athlete: Damian Lillard

Most memorable sports-related moment: I was fortunate enough to attend NBA All-Star weekend in Dallas in 2010.