U.S. Ski & Snowboard has appointed Michael O’Conor to the position of chief revenue officer. O’Conor comes to the organization with almost two decades’ experience of commercial business development within the Olympic sphere.
O’Conor’s hiring at U.S. Ski & Snowboard is serendipitous, as he was first introduced to the Olympic movement in Utah. In 2000 he took a position with OPUS – the joint venture between the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee – handling partnerships for the Sydney and Salt Lake Olympic Games.
After a brief stint in the entertainment sector with the Sundance Institute developing corporate sponsorships, the call of sport beckoned O’Conor back to the USOPC where he has served in various roles in account management, event management, and sales. In 2011, he took over the commercial arm of the USOPC. Most recently, Michael has been working for the LA2028 joint venture with the USOPC, known as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP).
As chief revenue officer, O’Conor will report directly to U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw, and will be responsible for driving all commercial revenue for the organization. In separating the sales and execution sides of sponsorship, O’Conor and his team will create new and innovative ways of raising money to support the athletes so they can focus on what they do best: skiing and snowboarding.
“We are so excited to have Michael joining the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Shaw. “Michael has proven himself to be a leader in commercial strategy, specifically in the Olympic sports space. He has a deep understanding of how to meet the challenges of creating value in commercial partnerships. I have no doubt that his expertise, gleaned from his tenure at the USOPC and the USOPP, will benefit our organization and allow us to give our athletes the best environment in which to train and compete, with the needed funding.”
